The unbearable heartache of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

Content warning: suicide ideation. In this painfully raw and heartfelt blog, Autistic advocate, Chantell Marshall (aka Shy Little Pixie) gives a rare and illuminating account of what it is like to live with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria and the revelation that has helped her quieten her self-sabotaging inner critic.

Please don’t ask me to be brave

In this powerful piece by one of the Reframing Autism team, she takes us behind one of her particularly damaging masks – the one called “courage”. “This mask is a warrior. It rushes headlong into battle without fear, or even better, despite fear … it lives by the mantra “act first, think later”. It is arrogant. It makes me say “yes” when inside I am screaming “no”. It says to my children “Be brave – like me!”

Full meta: a story about writing a story

In this relatable blog, a member of the Reframing Autism team shares how the convergence of her demand avoidance, extreme performance anxiety, perfectionism, ADHD and insecurity almost froze her into complete inertia. She describes how she was able to silence her inner critic with self-compassion: “My inner critic was still there, as she will always be. But the more I began to peel back the layers and understand myself more fundamentally, I noticed another figure in the front row … she is still an indistinct, elusive construct, often overshadowed by the domineering and ruthless voice of the critic.  She watches me too but it is with unconditional love.”

Does Learning You Are Autistic at a Younger Age Lead to Better Adult Outcomes? A Summary for Non-Academics

Does learning you’re Autistic at a younger age lead to increased wellbeing and quality of life? That is the question researchers sought to answer when they embarked on this study. They asked 78 university students how they learned they were Autistic, how they felt about Autism when first learning they are Autistic and now, and when they would tell Autistic children about their Autism. Read this research summary here to find out the results.

Guidelines for selecting a neurodiversity-affirming mental healthcare provider

Today is R U OK? Day, a special day for checking in on the mental health of others. But it can be hard to ask this question and offer support if you, yourself are struggling. So for all of those who do want to show concern for others without taking on their mental health concerns, we created these downloadable guidelines for you to share on how to select a neuro-affirming healthcare provider. Because sometimes even asking R U OK? can be beyond our capacity, and that is OK too.

Position Statement on Therapies and Interventions, Updated July 2022

We have recently updated our position statement on therapies and interventions given new evidence and research. You can read our updated statement here.

Shy Little Pixie: Unlocking the enigma of Autistic social anxiety

“When I am able to mask, I may make it through an hour, but invariably, my mask soon slips, and like Cinderella at the ball, I am left escaping in tears for fear of the ‘real me’ being exposed.” Chantell is a late diagnosed Autistic writer and advocate with ADHD and severe social anxiety. She shares her lived experience online as Shy Little Pixie, so others do not feel so alone.

From Chaos to Catharsis: How my creativity gave me an emotional outlet

From her traumatic childhood to life as a successful artist and children’s book illustrator, Celeste Josephine’s journey of self-discovery is a testament to the power of Autistic passions and the self-acceptance that can be found when you connect with your neurokin.

Dr Kristie Patten, Flourishing in Therapy

First aired at Reframing Autism’s 2021 Symposium on Autistic Flourishing: Acceptance, Authenticity, Autonomy, Dr Kristie Patten’s presentation focuses on the idea of reframing therapy to embrace a strengths-based paradigm shift, in collaboration with stakeholder engagement and in partnership with Autistic individuals.