Resources
We are often asked for advice or suggestions as ADHD/autistic people and their families seek to put in place positive strategies to support them to thrive. These are some of the resources we use with our clients, and we are happy to share them with you, so that you can use them at home too. Please let us know by emailing media@adhdandautism.org if you have any comments on what we have shared, or other ideas for topics that we might be able to provide resources for.
Support for Parents
Many families find it helpful to use a social story with their ADHD/autistic child to support them when beginning a new activity, such as going on holiday, or when working with them to make a change in their behaviour. This document provides information on when a social story might be helpful, and gives examples that might help you formulate a social story for your child.
The links on this page are designed to help you support your child or teen in having a good night sleep.
This document includes some hints and tips we have found helpful for families of ADHD/autistic children and young people.
Some ADHD/autistic children can become overwhelmed, which may manifest in a meltdown. Here are some ideas that may help reduce the frequency of meltdowns.
If you are looking for support managing challenging behaviour, have a read of this to see if some of the suggestions are helpful for you.
We are strong advocates of using ‘I statements’ when talking to your child – find out more in this poster.
Many ADHD/autistic children can feel anxious and stressed – this document hopes to give you some ideas of things you could do that might support them through these difficult emotions.
Exam season can be really challenging for young people, so this resource shares some tips that might particularly help neurodivergent young people with their revision (for parents and school staff)
The zones of regulation categorise feelings and emotions into colours. We all experience different zones at different times, and it can be difficult to regulate. Come up with strategies and tools so your child can learn to self-regulate.
Sometimes at the end of the day we are eager to find out all about our child’s/young person’s day. It can be disheartening when they don’t respond or seem to avoid our questions. Sometimes our questions, however meaningful they are, can cause stress, and our children can feel pressured to answer.
Here are some ideas of visual resources to make with your child to help reinforce positive behaviour using a reward system .
Support for Young People
“The mental health toolkit has been designed by young people with the support of Volunteering Matters. It give some great advice about how to manage your mental health, and provides tips, activities, and links to further resources
This document will help identify what makes us feel overwhelmed, and what works to help us calm down. This information gives us an idea of what we can do next time we feel overwhelmed.
Music plays a significant role in promoting relaxation and stress management. Upbeat music can boost positivity, sad music can help us work through difficult emotions while giving us a moment for reflection. Additionally, calm music relaxes the body which helps us feel more soothed.
A drawing or writing prompt to think about who supports you and makes you feel understood. This activity will also encourage contemplation on how others in your circle could enhance their support to best meet your needs.
Take a moment to revisit past challenges, reflecting on the strategies that proved effective, and the factors that helped you overcome hurdles. Reflection serves as a valuable resource in preparing for future challenges, allowing you to identify the tools and approaches that can provide support when needed.
Throughout the day, we run into things that either gives us a boost or brings us down. This document is here to help figure out the people, things, places, and whatever else that can be a positive or negative impact on our lives.
This document will help you draw attention to the environment around you. Consider each of your senses, what is useful in your environment and what may be unhelpful. Explore what could be adjusted to make your environment a safe space.
Everybody has good qualities that they can use to overcome problems in their lives, and this exercise will help you enter the strength-spotting mindset. What strengths do the people around you have – and what are your strengths?
A chart to plot tasks over the upcoming weeks. This helps pinpoint which ones might be stressing you out and suggests ways to ease those worries.
When we think about siblings, we use this visual tool to think about how we are different and list all our similarities. This leads to a positive discussion about our siblings; we always find something that both siblings like or enjoy. This can be a starting point to building positive relationship through shared interests.
Everyone experiences stress, but sometimes it is hard to recognise positive and negative stress. The bucket is a visual resource where you can list what causes you stress and see if you can make some changes and use strategies to manage your stress. You can use this opportunity to talk about good stress: we need some stress, and it is normal to feel stressed.
Sometimes it can be hard to say how we really feel; one way to express our feelings and to help clear our minds is to write it down. Write down the things you would like to say to somebody, but feel you can’t. You can choose whether or not to send the letter to the person you have written to.
When our negative feelings build up and cause us stress, we can become overwhelmed and emotionally “erupt”. Identifying what makes us feel how we feel is a great life skill, so use the volcano as resource to map to explore and reflect on what triggers you to feel stressed, angry, sad, and use the numbered sections to order the feelings and triggers.
When was the last time someone said something nice to you about you? How did that make you feel? As a family you could make a jar of affirmations, or you can do this for an individual family member.
Support for Adults
A booklet for people currently waiting for an adult autism diagnostic appointment. This booklet contains information on what you can do whilst you wait for your appointment, as well as what to expect before during and after the appointment.
A booklet for newly diagnosed autistic adults to learn more about autism, their diagnosis, and what to do next.
A document to help you plan and organise what you would like to say during appointment with your GP. This can also be used for other healthcare appointments.
An information document on why some people who identify as autistic might explore a formal diagnosis.
