Life on the Bridge: linking my world to yours as an autistic therapist

You’ve heard from autistic authors.

You’ve heard from therapists.

Now hear from one extraordinary young woman who’s both.

Experience autism from the inside out through a rare fusion of professional skill and personal understanding. Reshape what you know about the autism spectrum and increase your ability to give support. Varied perspectives among autistic individuals, their families, and professionals have often been difficult to reconcile. Now, you can bridge that divide with guidance from someone who’s lived in multiple worlds. Find immediate, actionable options to build connections, foster communication, navigate challenges, and enhance interactions.

SPECIFIC CONTENT:

Part One, AUTISM BASICS, focuses on the definition of autism, what autism is not, and an overview of implications across the spectrum of neurodivergence.

Part Two, COMMUNICATION, discusses effective communication with autistic people, reducing ambiguity, increasing specific content, parent tools for encouraging conversation, relying on verbs, how “Plain Language” helps, when to wait instead of speaking, and the overlooked power of writing to support verbal interaction.

Part Three, BEHAVIOR, talks about the logistics of meltdowns and how to handle, cause and effects of stimming and perseveration; recognizing the basis of sensory distortion; outside help and self-advocacy for sensory seekers and sensory avoiders;, Theory of Mind and autistic people’s ability to “read rooms”; reconsidering the value of special interests; all or nothing perspective of “big feelings”; why eye contact can be hard and how to cope; and masking.

Part Four, INTERACTIONS, features the truth and implications of loneliness; innate versus learned social skills; the hidden rules causing social complications; encouraging independence; challenges with executive function; a collaborative approach to goal setting; and understanding disability accommodations.

Part Five, COMMON QUESTIONS, addresses the practical reality of DSM-5’s “Diagnostic Levels”; the why and how of therapy for autism; the value of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA); and routes to autism advocacy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Following her appearance on the Netflix series Love on the Spectrum, author Kaelynn Partlow, RBT, amplified her social media reach, establishing herself as an influential voice in autism understanding and actionable advocacy. Over almost ten years providing clinical autism services, she has worked with clients spanning different ages and vastly differing levels of ability. Partlow lives in South Carolina with two supportive roommates and her Labrador, Finn.

From the Publisher

Learn from Someone Who’s Been on Both Sides of the Table!

“…because it’s a constant challenge, it’s pretty easy for me… to teach social skills to other autistic people. [Others] have such a strong familiarity… it can get in the way of teaching. Their skills come so naturally they have difficulty deconstructing and explaining the pieces.”

–Chapter 13

Rising Star & the Legend

“Partlow gives practical advice and tackles today’s thorniest issues. The book she was never supposed to be able to write is a must-read for anyone eager to understand autism better. As a rising star in the field, Partlow is poised to become this generation’s Temple Grandin.” –Erin R. Hahn, Ph.D., Department Chair and Professor of Psychology, Furman University

“Loved Kaelynn Partlow’s information on ambiguity and communication. She gives lots of practical pointers on how to be more direct and specific when talking to autistic individuals. Vague, open ended questions are not effective communication.” –Temple Grandin, Author, Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions

Why does an Autistic Child Need Therapy?

“I was the child without a diagnosis who could have benefited from therapy. I was the teenager who received badly needed therapy. I’m also the adult who has seen the therapy I now provide for others vastly improve their quality of life. So here’s what I know to be true. As a starting point, when a good therapist sets out to help an autistic person, here is what we’re not doing:

making them appear ‘normal’;’catching them up’ to neurotypical peers; or’fixing/changing’ who they are.

Here’s what a good therapist should be doing: teaching them skills that will help them remove the barriers they face because of their diagnosis.” –Chapter 17

Hard Truths about Interactions & Complications

“It’s common for me to hear people profess how deeply their experience aligns with my own. Unfortunately, it’s equally common for that conversation to grind to an awkward halt right at the most vulnerable point of my narrative. People can be really quick to say how much they understand and empathize—until it becomes incredibly obvious that they do neither…. Far more important than terminology is what those affected by profound autism encounter, not just from outsiders, but also from those inside the autism community. When newcomers to the world of autism get a glimpse of how tough reality is for the profoundly affected, they and their empathy usually fade quietly away.” –Chapter 3

Author with Temple Grandin

Author as a child

Author with a friend

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DG33YMFB
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Project Hope Foundation
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 15, 2024
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 195 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8991035507
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.44 x 9 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #7,090 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1 in Teaching Students with Developmental & Intellectual Disabilities #10 in Children’s Autism Spectrum #11 in Parenting Books on Children with Disabilities
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