Autism | Autistic Realms

Discovering Belonging: Creating Neuro-Affirming Animations with Thriving Autistic

Discovering Belonging: Neuro-Affirming Animations with Thriving Autistic. Celebrate Autistic identity through the Discovery Programme and new animations that explore belonging, strengths, and community.

Being Autistic shapes grief: Explore unique paths through loss and affirming support

Explore how Autistic people experience grief differently and discover affirming resources, support, and strategies for navigating loss with compassion.

Reflections on the Autistic Mental Health Conference 2025

Reflections On The Autistic Mental Health Conference. An Interview between David Gray-Hammond & Helen Edgar

SPACE-TIME: A Monotropism Informed Framework for Autistic People

SPACE-TIME: A Monotropism-Informed Neuroaffirming Framework for Autistic People

Autistic Mental Health: Beyond the Pathology Paradigm

Autistic mental health is often framed through a narrow, deficit-based lens — one that focuses on pathology, risk, and what’s “wrong.” But this view leaves out the richness of autistic lives, the diversity of our needs, and the resilience in our communities. Moving beyond the pathology paradigm means centring lived experience, recognising the systemic barriers…

Autistic Realms: Community Events and New Resources

Autistic RealmsHelen Edgar Autistic Advocate, Author & ConsultantNeurodiversity-Affirming Supporting Autistic People To Thrive And Grow Welcome to Autistic Realms Newsletter! I’m excited to invite you to the Autistic Mental Health Conference 2025, on 16th August 2025 a groundbreaking hybrid event exploring the lived experiences and urgent challenges within Autistic mental health systems and support. As…

Why PBS is Harmful for Autistic and Neurodivergent Young People

Exploring why and how Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) can harm Autistic people. #Neurodiversity #AutismAcceptance #PBS #DisabilityJustice

Neuro-Affirming Neurodivergent & Disabled Wheel of Life: Reclaiming Flow on Our Own Terms

Neuro-Affirming Neurodivergent & Disabled Wheel of Life: Reclaiming Flow on Our Own Terms Workbook available for instant download.

Autistic Pride: Restorying & Unknowing Autism

Restorying is how we reclaim our Autistic voices, honour our ways of knowing, and build futures rooted in connection, not correction.

Toileting: A Neuroaffirming Approach to Support your Autistic Child

Toileting is not a race. For many Autistic children, the journey may look different. Respecting a child’s pace, sensory needs, and body signals can make all the difference.

NEW Map of Monotropic Experiences: FREE Open Source Training Resources

Map of Monotropic Experiences: FREE Open Source Training ResourcesThe Map of Monotropic Experiences:Reframing Autism Through A Neurodiversity-Affirming Lens Training for Professionals, Families and Community Groups to Support Autistic People I am excited to announce that in collaboration with Stumpunks, we have a new free, open-source training resource!At Autistic Realms and Stimpunks, we believe in telling…

Autistic Realms News!

Autistic RealmsHelen Edgar Autistic Advocate, Author & ConsultantNeurodiversity-Affirming Support Supporting Autistic People Thrive And Grow Welcome to Autistic Realms Newsletter! I have two new blogs about monotropic time and how neurodivergent people may perceive time differently. Depending on how much time you have, there is a long version and a shorter version! “For many of…

Autistic Realms Weekly Round-Up!

Autistic Realms News Letter: Neuro-Affirming resources and blogs, up-coming webinars, sharing new research and community events.

Testimonials for Autistic Realms

Testimonials gathered from National Neurodiversity Awards nomination feedback 2024 and 2025. Feel free to vote for me and others here: Helen is breaking new ground in the dismantling of neuronormativity while working tirelessly to grow and deliver her practice as an Autistic Advocate. I have known of Helen’s work for over 20 years and she…

Welcome Newsletter

Autistic RealmsHelen Edgar – Autistic Advocate, Author & ConsultantNeurodiversity-Affirming Support To Help Autistic People Thrive And Grow Welcome to Autistic Realms Newsletter! I will be sharing blogs, resources and upcoming events. Please check out this weeks new resources about neuro-affirming language. Click here Looking forward to sharing more soon!Best Wishes, Helen Contact: helen@autisticrealms.comUnsubscribe · Preferences

Neuro-Affirming Research in Practice: Supporting Autistic Students, Embracing Monotropism In The Classroom And Beyond

Written by Tanya Adkin and Helen Edgar, based on the presentation we delivered to the National Autistic Society Professionals’ Conference in March, 2025. Shared with permission from NAS. We will explore the importance of the theory of monotropism and the significance of flow states and suggest some practical strategies educators can implement to create more…

Could it be PANS/PANDAS… Be Curious!

This collection of text and images was created collaboratively by neurodivergent educators, working together to shine a light on this often-overlooked area of care and support. Helen Edgar, Joanne Riordan, Laura Hellfeld, Viv Dawes, Julie Webb and Ben Palmer . Have you noticed a change in your child’s ability to cope with life or a decline in their well-being? It is…

Autistic Young People & Friendships

Discover how Autistic young people experience and build friendships in a way that honors their unique communication styles and interests.

Call for Submissions: Share your experiences of being monotropic.

Open Invite: Share your experiences of being monotropic. Share poems, art, blogs, essays, videos, podcasts, music, etc., that reflect your experience of being monotropic. We will publish across Stimpunks & Autistic Realms as part of our community project. Some stories may be chosen for a community ebook that will be openly licensed; if you would…

Autism & The Map of Neuronormative Domination: Stuck States vs Flow States

In collaboration with Ryan Boren, Chelsea Adams and Norah Hobbs from Stimpunks I have created: Autism & The Map of Neuronormative Domination. We hope that this will help frame the Map of Monotropic Experiences and provide insights as to why it is important to change the narrative that is causing so much harm to Autistic…

Book Review: I didn’t see you there. By Charlotte Gale

I didn’t see you there by Charlotte Gale is a powerful journey of poetic memoirs of one family’s path through mental health crisis, diagnosis and embracing neurodivergence. I have been privileged to proof read a copy of this book prior to publication and share my thoughts. “I know I’m not alone thinking or feeling this…

Autistic Burnout – Supporting Young People At Home & School

Autistic burnout in young people is real—and recovery starts with understanding. This post offers neuroaffirming ways to spot the signs, reduce demands, and truly support. 💛 #AutisticBurnout #Neuroaffirming #Monotropism #AutisticSupport

An Autistic Experience of Social Media

I am writing this one month into my journey of setting up Autistic Realms; I aim to support and develop understanding and awareness about neurodivergence, education and mental health. As a late-identified autistic person and also a parent and teacher, I have always found real-life communication and interaction quite ‘difficult’ and complex to navigate. I…

Autistic Community: Connections and Becoming

Everyone seeks connection in some way or another. Connections may look different for autistic people. In line with the motto from Anna Freud’s National Autism Trainer Programme (Acceptance, Belonging and Connection), creating a sense of acceptance and belonging is likely to be more meaningful for autistic people than putting pressure on them to try and…

Transitions – Supporting young people throughout the day

Recognising the demands of transitions and finding ways to reduce the pressure for the young people you support. Original article written for The PDA Space Recognising the demands of transitions and finding ways to reduce the pressure (thepdaspace.com) July 2023. Corrina Wood (specialist autism practitioner and advisor) has created a great webinar about recognising and…

Penguin Pebbling: An Autistic Love Language

Penguin Pebbling is a neurodivergent way of showing you care, like sharing a meme or twig or pretty stone to say “I’m thinking of you,” inspired by penguins who gift pebbles to those they care about.

Autism is fluid

Autism is not a disorder and does not need fixing or any ‘interventions’. Autism comes under the umbrella of neurodivergence, it is a different way of thinking, interacting and responding to people and the world. Nick Walker (2021) in her book Neuroqueer Heresies, states; ‘Autism is a genetically-based human neurological variant…..autistic individual’s subjective experience can…

Book Review: The New Normal-Autistic musings on the threat of a broken society by David Gray-Hammond

David Gray-Hammond’s new book The New Normal – Autistic musings on the threat of a broken society (2022) is a fantastic and wonderful addition to not only the Autistic and neurodivergent community but is also an accessible text for those who are less familiar with the neurodiversity paradigm and the flipside of the…

Book Review -Square Pegs, Inclusivity, Compassion & Fitting in (A guide for Schools)

Square Pegs: Inclusivity, compassion and fitting in – a guide for schools. Fran Morgan with Elllie Costello, edited by Ian Gilbert. Independent Thinking Press (2023) The knowledge and ideas in the new book, Square Pegs (2023) has the potential to transform our education system and support those working with young people in schools to make…

Category: Autism