Historically, there has been an expectation that autistic children and adults should conform their behaviour to social norms, with strategies and interventions centred around navigating spaces and situations with minimal damage. This person-centred environmental assessment and modification programme moves away from this, with the aim to provide information and tools for assessing and reflecting on features of the autistic person's environment to best support their comfort, autonomy and agency. Written as a collaboration between autistic and non-autistic professionals, the authors break down each environmental element (physical, sensory, emotional, communicative and social) by chapter and include checklists as reference points to equip the reader with a framework from which to begin. This accessible, strengths-focused approach to supporting autistic people across different areas of their life reflects a paradigm shift from one where autism is treated as a deficit or impairment to one of strength, acceptance and autonomy.

About the Author
SHARON MCCARTHY is adjunct course author & lecturer. She delivers autism-specific training to different disability services across Ireland & has designed & delivered autism-centric courses at Cork College of Commerce. Sharon is parent to multiply-identified autistic children & acquired her own official autism diagnosis in 2020. MICAELA CONNOLLY is a Senior Educational and Child Psychologist with 15 years' experience of working on a multidisciplinary team in a specialist autism service. Her work involves assessment; therapeutic interventions; training; developing & implementing programmes to advance understanding & awareness of autism. CAOLAN MCCARTHY is an autistic Speech and Language Therapist. He has spoken at the IASLT Autism and Neurodiversity Special Interest Group annual conference & made contributions to the New National Training Programme for Special Educational Needs Assistants with University College Dublin and National Council for Special Education.


Book Information
ISBN 9781803882420
Author Sharon McCarthy
Format Paperback
Page Count 166
Imprint Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd
Publisher Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd