Yenn Purkis

Understanding your feelings and emotions is an incredibly important part of learning to become your most awesome autistic self!Yenn, Tanya and a tiny meerkat called Min are here to help you find out everything you need to know about your feelings and emotions, using tips and tricks they have picked up along the way to help you calm your brain down when it feels overloaded.From anger and worry to sadness and joy, emotions can come in all shapes and sizes with some feeling really big and others feeling much smaller (or even feeling like nothing), this book explores why we experience certain emotions, what they mean and how we can find the ultimate autistic comfort zone!

Welcome to the autistic community! We're very glad you're here!Sometimes it can be difficult to feel proud of who you are. Maybe you feel different from other people or struggle to fit in - there is no need to worry! Yenn, Tanya and a tiny meerkat called Min are here to help you discover how to feel proud to be you.From learning about the autistic community, to finding like-minded friends and connecting with others, this book will give you everything you need to ask the question 'what does it mean to be me?' Learn alongside Min how the special things that make you YOU can also help find your own community.Discover your own strengths, boost your confidence, and learn how to start your journey as an awesome autistic person with the community by your side

Let's face it, other humans can be difficult to understand sometimes!There is no need to worry! Yenn, Tanya and a tiny meerkat called Min are here to help you find out everything you need to know about friendships, improving relationships with your family members, and how to deal with disagreements that can arise with the people in your life.Answering the difficult questions like 'What makes a good friend?' and 'Why do adults tell me to do things?' this book gives you helpful tips, tricks, and advice you need to help you understand other humans whilst staying true to your own awesome autistic self!

Planning a career around your special or intense interests is possible and, in fact, easier than you might think! If you're wondering how you can turn your love of animals, intense fascination of transportation or passion for information technology (and much more!) into a fulfilling career, that you will never get bored of, you've come to the right place!Yenn Purkis and Barb Cook are leading autistic advocates, employees and business owners and are using their first-hand knowledge and the power of special interests to help you plan your future in this book. By straying from the conventional paths and thinking differently, Yenn and Barb could help take your passion for outer space and help transform you into a budding astronomer or even aerospace engineer!Full of helpful advice and activities, including goal and vision setting, identifying your skills and personality attributes, looking at what makes a positive workplace, common attributes of autistic employees and business owners and challenging assumptions to name just a few, this book will help you to find work that you truly enjoy and thrive in the workplace.

What might it look like for an Autistic, non-binary person who lives with mental illness to live well and with hope?In this book, author and advocate Yenn Purkis reflects on their experiences of life as an Autistic non-binary person who has a diagnosis of atypical schizophrenia. Exploring the intersecting areas of mental health and illness, neurodivergence and neurodiversity, and gender non-conformity, the narrative follows Yenn through experiences of incarceration, psychosis, employment, therapy both helpful and not, medication, diagnosis, stigma and anxiety.Illuminating reading for students of disability studies, Autism studies, queer studies, and related social sciences, this book will also bring important perspective to those in practice and in training: doctors, psychiatrists, policy makers, teachers, and social workers. Yenn will describe a life well-lived, with and alongside Autism and mental illness, that will provide a vital perspective to anyone studying or working people who share these social identities.

Calling all awesome autistic trans teens! Yenn Purkis and Sam Rose want you to live your best authentic life - and this handy book will show you how!With helpful explanations, tips and activities, plus examples of famous trans and gender divergent people on the autism spectrum, this user-friendly guide will help you to navigate the world as an awesome autistic trans teen.Covering a huge range of topics including coming out, masking, different gender identities, changing your name, common issues trans and gender divergent people face and ways to help overcome them, building a sense of pride and much, much more, it will empower you to value yourself and thrive exactly as you are.

Being autistic, you might come across more challenges than others around you, such as dealing with ableism, discrimination in employment or difficulties in your relationships. Learning to successfully self-advocate will help you to build confidence, strengthen your relationships and ensure your needs are met.Written by two autistic activists, this book will give you the tools and strategies to advocate for yourself in any situation. It covers specific scenarios including work, school, and family and relationships, as well as looking at advocacy for the wider community, whether that's through social media, presentations or writing. Additionally, the book provides advice on building independence, developing your skills, standing up for others and resolving conflict.The authors also explore the overall impact of self-advocacy in all areas of your life, building a sense of confidence, resilience and control. Drawing on the authors' extensive experience, this book will help you to successfully prioritise your needs and rights, challenge what is unfair or unjust and make your voice heard.

'A must-read!' FINLAY GAMESThis essential survival guide gives autistic trans and/or non-binary adults all the tools and strategies they need to live as their very best self.Blending personal accounts with evidence-based insights and up-to-date information, and written from a perspective of empowerment and self-acceptance, the book promotes pride, strength and authenticity, covering topics including self-advocacy, mental health and camouflaging and masking as well as key moments in life such as coming out or transitioning socially and/or physically. Written by two leading autistic trans activists, this book honestly charts what life is like as an autistic trans person and is vital, life-affirming reading.

This book explores what it feels like to be a young person on the autism spectrum and looks at all the brilliant things people on the autism spectrum can do.This book celebrates the strengths of understanding the world in a different way. It looks at all the reasons being you and thinking differently can be totally awesome! It also has tips for managing tricky situations such as meltdowns, sensory differences and anxiety. It includes fun activities and diary pages where you can write your thoughts and feelings to help you concentrate on your strengths and work on your challenges.This book helps you develop the confidence to be who you are and help you live life with as little stress and anxiety as possible.

This book empowers parents of autistic young people aged 11 to 20 to help them promote resilience in their child. Full of suggestions and simple activities, this easy-to-use resource will help guide parents on how to build the foundations of resilience and independence for situations such as negotiating sexuality and relationships, entering employment or living away from home. It includes information about the main developmental stages for preteens and teens on the autism spectrum, and will take parents through life events and milestones at different ages and identify where difficulties and barriers to resilience may arise and how to address them.

Children and young people with autism have the capacity to be independent and resilient which can help them live independently or be supported to live a fulfilling life and reach their full potential.This book empowers parents of autistic children aged two to ten to help them promote resilience in their child. Full of suggestions and simple activities, this easy-to-use resource will help guide parents on how to build the foundations of resilience and independence for situations such as school, new environments and relationships with other children. It includes information about the main developmental stages for children on the autism spectrum, and will take parents through life events and milestones at different ages and identify where difficulties and barriers to resilience may arise and how to address them.

Filled with strategies and advice, this empowering guide presents practical ways to improve the mental wellbeing of people on the Autism Spectrum. This helpful guide focusses on the specific difficulties that can arise for people on the autism spectrum who may also experience a mental illness. The book includes information on common mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, as well as strategies for improving sleep patterns and mindfulness. Providing guidance on the benefits and drawbacks of therapy pets, medication, and psychotherapy, the authors offer balanced perspectives on treatment options and introduce self-help strategies tailored to meet your needs and improve your mental wellbeing. A number of short personal narratives from people on the autism spectrum and mental health issues illustrate the text. The book also includes a list of resources, books and organisations that can provide further support and inspiration.

Unravelling the complexities of relationships and sexuality, this straight-talking guide will help you to navigate the associated social, emotional and physical issues. Expert advice and real life examples give you the knowledge to reflect on your own sexuality, provide you with information on different types of relationship, and gives you the confidence to decide which type of relationship is right for you. Together with important information on sexual health, this book will help you to understand how to find and maintain a relationship of your choosing in a safe and enjoyable way. Exploring the often unspoken rules of sex and relationships, this book also covers often unaddressed topics, such as: · what sexual attraction looks and feels like · how to identify your own sexual identity and preferences (and how they may change) · what your rights are, and how to stay safe · having children, or choosing not to, the impact of this on relationships · how to recognise power imbalances within relationships, and what to do

This hands-on workbook demystifies the world of work in order to help teenagers with Asperger syndrome (Autism Spectrum Disorder) feel confident in their ability to be successful at their studies and get a job.Each chapter talks the teen through a different element of employment, including the benefits of having a job, why education is important, how to write a resume and succeed at job interviews, and the advantages and disadvantages of autism in the workplace. A variety of different industries and jobs are explored to encourage teens to begin to think about careers that might appeal to them and suit their skills and interests.Full of practical information, engaging activities, funny illustrations and inspiring personal stories, this book gives Asperteens a positive image of what people on the autism spectrum can achieve and is an essential career guidance aid for parents and teachers working with young adults.

Jeanette Purkis spent her early life reacting violently against her feelings of embarrassment, anger and confusion about her 'difference' from other people. She was unaware until well into adulthood that everything she found difficult, including her lack of success in forming relationships, could be a result of having Asperger Syndrome.Used to being a misfit from a very young age, Jeanette found that being a member of a group in which she had a label - Jeanette the Communist; Jeanette, Enemy of the State; Jeanette the convict; Jeanette the drug addict - gave her a sense of order she could depend on, particularly in prison, where each day had a set routine and the inmates accepted her because of her rebel attitude. Finally diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at the age of 20, the author only began to accept her diagnosis some years later when she felt for the first time that she might learn to cope with being herself.Jeanette's remarkable life and her journey towards finding a different kind of normal is compelling and inspiring reading for people with autism spectrum disorders, and those living or working with them.