Growing up autistic can be hard. Many young people report feeling different and having a sense of being out of step with the expectations of others. They say that they develop a strong sense that there is something wrong with them – and that this is their fault. Many carry this with them into adulthood.  

Using the lens of trauma, Dr Naomi Fisher will talk about why autistic young people may be particularly vulnerable to experiencing the world as threatening, and how common behavioural and parenting techniques can exacerbate this.  She’ll suggest some ways to get alongside young people and to help them feel that they are okay just as they are.