Aspiedent's Blog

Can you imagine wanting to connect with someone, wanting to be involved and fit in but being unable to do so? For some people, this is difficult or even impossible because exposing anything about themselves triggers anxiety in various forms. In this blog post we discuss the little known condition of Exposure Anxiety.

Processing issues are very common in autism and generally cause communication issues. As a response to their individual processing difficulties, autistic individuals develop coping strategies in order to cope with the world around them. Some of these strategies are good coping mechanisms, becoming strengths leading to positive outcomes. Whilst others can lead to problems, putting them in difficult situations and preventing them achieving their goals.

In this blog post we look at why there are often communication difficulties between sales people and technical people. The main issue is that sales people and technical people are interested in different things and neither finds what the other does interesting. It is possible to bridge this gap.

To meet the diagnostic criteria (DSM-5) for autism, a person must have persistent deficits in each of the 3 areas of Part A plus at least 2 of 4 behaviours in part B. In this blog post we argue that the behaviours in Part B actually cause the issues in Part A. We believe that looking into Part B first helps with understanding 'why' an individual presents with a collection of symptoms that leads to a diagnosis of autism. If you understand 'why' then you will be able to design appropriate interventions to support them better.

All parents want their children to have the same access to education and opportunities as other children So that they can play a full part in society when they are grown up. This includes gainful employment in a way that meets their potential. In this blog we discuss if autistic children are failed by the system because education does not cater to individual needs.

Different ways of thinking can cause friction, misunderstanding and miscommunication within a team. If one particular way of thinking dominates in a team, those who think differently can be shouted down and/or ignored simply because the majority does not realise they have something important to contribute. This blog post discusses the impact of top down and bottom up thinking within a team. Those who think bottom up or a bit of both top down and bottom up thinking tend to find it difficulty to make their views heard because they are in a minority.

Processing issues in autism are many, varied, and complex. However, they tend to share common characteristics, which can make it difficult to work out which processing issues you are dealing with. In this blog post, we share information on 10 different ways in which processing issues may present themselves in general. However, be careful because these symptoms can also be caused by something else. It is important to work out exactly what you are dealing with before trying to deal with the issues.

Bonfire night is an exciting event but can be very overwhelming for some autistic people. We discuss the types of things to be aware of that can make it particularly challenging and provide some helpful advice on how to make it more enjoyable.

This blog post describes how an Autism Profile from Aspiedent has had life changing impacts on a young woman and people around her (name has been changed for privacy purposes). Angela can now hold conversations, is building relationships and studying at colleague for Maths and English. None of this was possible before we met her.

You or your child have just been given an Autism diagnosis after months maybe even years of waiting to have an assessment. Months of struggling with various issues and trying to get support, months of been sent down different pathways, exhausting form filling and been sent on different courses all of which have no benefit whatsoever. Fighting with school to get the right interventions put in place or challenging discussions with your manager to understand your difficulties. When finally, you get the appointment you have long awaited and receive your diagnosis. So, what happens now, where do you go for support? What does an autism diagnosis actually tell you?