Autism New Zealand Newsletter – November 2023

There are many groups of people for whom low sensory events are beneficial or even necessary. This resource addresses low sensory events in the context of Autism.

An autistic child or teenager taking their clothes off or touching their genitals in public can be humiliating, upsetting, or scary for those around them.

Stopping this behaviour relies on understanding the reasons behind it, which can vary widely depending on the child’s age and level of maturity and understanding.

This resource lists some of the common causes of inappropriate sexual behaviour, and what you can do about each one.

Finding and getting a job can be overwhelming so don’t be afraid to take things one step at a time.

The first step to getting a job is deciding what kind of work you’re looking for.

This resource pack details the ways the autistic experience when applying for jobs, interviewing, and employment.

It’s common for autistic children to wander off or run away. Often they will wander or run off without any warning, and sometimes without being able to explain why they did it or where they were trying to go.

There are a wide variety of reasons that some children run off, and the strategies used to keep children safe will depend on why they are running away.

This resource will go through the most common reasons for autistic children to wander off or run away, and some strategies to try for each reason.

(A note about terminology: wandering or running off is often referred to as ‘elopement’. This resource does not use that term because many autistic adults find it unnecessarily pathologising; many autistic adults have been told that they were ‘eloping’ and that it was a problem to solve when they were going for a walk, or leaving an uncomfortable situation – things that a non-autistic person would be allowed to do without any questions.)

Recognising what you’re feeling is the first step in learning to regulate emotions. For some children, this comes naturally and will develop on its own; others, including many autistic children, may need a bit of help learning to recognise when they’re having an emotion, and/or what the emotion actually is.

This resource details ways your child can understand their feelings