What your autistic child wants you to know : and how you can help them / Maja Toudal ; foreword by Tony Attwood ; illustrated by Signe Sønderhousen.

Includes bibliographical references.

Part I: Explaining the basics. Section 1: Getting started. You -- Autism -- Section 2: A-Z of key issues. Amygdala and emotions -- Cognitive abilities -- Co-morbidity -- Empathy and sympathy -- How to give advice -- Language -- Loss of skills -- Neurodiversity -- Profiles -- Sensory sensitivities -- Social ''languages'' -- Stimming -- Terminology and autism -- Theory of mind and social reasoning -- Part II: What we want you to know about. Section 1: Home life. Food and dinnertime -- Clothes, shoes and shopping -- Lists, schedules and reminders -- Chores -- Discipline -- Pocket money -- Homework -- Section 2: Relationships. Siblings -- Friends -- Guests -- Bullying and peer pressure -- Social media -- Section 3: Spaces and events. My room -- Public spaces -- Vacations -- School and class -- School parties and birthdays -- Section 4: Interests. Hobbies and extracurricular activities -- Toys, games and play -- Animals -- Section 5: Identity. Self-identity -- Aging, growing up and puberty -- Gender and sexual identity -- Meltdowns and shutdowns -- Harmful strategies and risky behavior -- What helps in the big picture?

"There are so many things I wish I could have told my parents when I was a child, but back then I did not have the words." It can be challenging understanding what your autistic child wants and needs, at times it can feel like a struggle to ask the right questions and find the right words. Written by autistic academic and advocate, Maja Toudal, in collaboration with other autistic voices, this candid book explores a range of common situational and social challenges an autistic young person may face and gives lived-experience advice on how to resolve them. Maja offers insights on everything from making mealtimes work for your child, to handling bullying and peer pressure, both at school and on social media, providing an insider's guide into the child's emotional life. With relatable and engaging advice on what your child needs and why, alongside chapters focusing on how to approach puberty, providing coping mechanisms for meltdowns, and offering insight into making safe spaces, this is the essential guide to parenting autistic young people."--Amazon.com.