Cover Image: Self-Care for Autistic People

Self-Care for Autistic People

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Was this review helpful?

As an autistic person myself, this isn't groundbreaking information. But I've read other reviews, and it can be plenty helpful for families and friends of autistic people.

Was this review helpful?

I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I knew Megan Anne Neff from her website and podcast and was excited to hear she was writing a book. I jumped on the chance to read and review this one. I thought this was a very informative book filled with so many great ideas for self-care for autistic people.

I thought this was a great read with lots of ideas about self care for autistic people. There were tips I already knew, mostly because I already read and listened a lot about the topic in general and to the author's other content in particular, but even so there were plenty of new to me tips. I also appreciated having all these ideas combined in one book. I liked the writing style and the positive and encouraging tone of the book. It's very neurodivergent affirming and I liked that.

I feel like the strength of this book really is how broad it is. There are so many tips in it, so many ideas. While not all of them resonated with me, plenty did. And there were a few tips that really resonated with me I wanted to try and even some I implemented right away. And I feel most people will find at least a few things they can use in here.

At the same time I also felt that the broadness of the book was something I struggled with at times. There are just so many tips and information in there, but none of it goes as deep as I want. Sometimes I just wanted more information on a certain point and was left with questions. It also could be a bit overwhelming at times as there are so many tips, so I ended up reading this one in little snippets which worked better for me so I could process the information better. This is a book I hope to re-read in the future, so I can pick up more ideas and remind myself of ones that I've forgotten already.

To summarize: This is a great book about self-care for autistic people. I found it informative and found plenty of useful tips. The tone is very neurodivergent affirming, which I liked. I think the strength of this book lies in how broad it is, with so many self-care ideas in there. That's also the downside for me in a way as I felt at times it didn't go deep enough. It also could be a bit much and overwhelming, so I read in small snippets as that worked better for me. I think this book a great starting point to get an overview of autistic self-care.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and Adams Media for a copy of this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Dr Megan Anna Neff has created a comprehensive and approachable guide to help autistic people look after themselves. This book was full of ideas across a whole range of areas, from sensory challenges, work, relationships and more. However, it never felt overwhelming.

I found that many of the ideas were realistic, acknowledging that not every approach will work for everyone, and accepting the reality that it may not be practical to completely stop all demands to recover.

This book is a resource that I can see myself coming back to time and again, when I need a refresher or just need some ideas to get back on track.

I will absolutely recommend this!

Was this review helpful?

As an autistic person myself, I found this book easy to understand and also knowledgeable. Great read! A good place to start

Was this review helpful?

As an autistic person, this read was both very interesting and familiar at once. There was a lot of useful information delivered in a warm and approachable way.

Was this review helpful?

This is a FABULOUS book that everyone with autism (and those that know/love/work with Autistic people) should buy. It has been written in a way that you can read through front to back, but you can also dip in and re-read the page you need that day, which is just perfect.

I could honestly have given this 5 stars after the first section of the book, but the information and tips kept on giving me more reasons right the way through. Sometimes, you just need the dot points of a specific situation, and Dr Megan Anna delivers example scripts, the most important things to keep in mind, ideas for how to cope, as well as tips and strategies for *all the situations*.

Here are just a few of the 100+ situations covered:
* Creating sensory safety
* Managing challenges with food
* Unwinding muscle tension
* Putting your mind to sleep
* Prioritising rest to avoid burnout
* Managing hyper-empathy
* Grasping difficult emotions
* Distinguishing between sensory overload and anxiety
* Dropping "functioning" labels
* Building your health care team
* Forgiving yourself and grieving your limits
* Expanding your tolerance level
* Understanding double empathy
* Navigating conflict
* Exploring gender and sexuality
* Navigating context switching at work
* Optimal work environments and ideas to consider
* Creating hyperfocus bumper rails

Oh how I wish that I had read this a year ago! Thank you to Dr Megan Anna Neff for her great work. THIS is why we need neurodiverse professionals!

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book, but I am ordering a physical copy for our family too. Many thanks to Adams Media and NetGalley for the early access in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

As a late diagnosed autistic women I appreciated reading from the perspective of someone who is neurodiverse themselves.

This is a great starting point for people who are newly diagnosed or wanting tips to care for themself. There are some helpful ideas in this book on how to make your life easier as a neurodiverse adult.

I appreciate this book covering things like burnout and help with workplace struggles as sometimes this is overlooked in autistic help books. I feel this is something I will also be able to refer back to later for easy tips if I’m struggling or in burnout.

Thank you to the publisher, Adams Media for the ARC through NetGalley. My review is my honest opinion on this book ✨

Was this review helpful?

"Self-Care for Autistic People" felt like a warm hug from someone who truly gets it. Megan Anna Neff's insights and tips aren't just about de-stressing; they're about embracing your unique neurodiversity. As someone who's navigated the world with autism, Neff speaks from experience, offering practical advice that feels both comforting and empowering. Sure, some parts felt repetitive, and I wished for a more cohesive structure, but the wealth of information made up for it. From understanding sensory overload to managing communication hurdles, this book covers it all with empathy and understanding. It's not about "fixing" autism but finding ways to thrive with it, and that's a message worth spreading. Whether you're newly diagnosed or just seeking to understand yourself better, this book is like a beacon guiding you through the maze of neurodiversity.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This is a good book with a somewhat misleading title. 'Self-Care for Autistic People' sounds like a book telling ways to de-stress. This is more like a guide to living as an autistic adult. Simple and straightforward, written by an autistic doctor for other autistic people. A lot of this may seem obvious, but for people who struggle with interoception (self understanding) it is helpful to see explanations of how and why we struggle with things, and suggested solutions and accommodations. It was a bit repetitive.

Was this review helpful?

I would have loved this if I had found this when I was beginning my diagnosis journey! I am so grateful that there is more and more resources for people going through this, specifically for adults.

Was this review helpful?

Many of these tips seem very surface level, but there are some useful things in here. I would recommend, but I think that it could have been expanded a bit more.

Was this review helpful?

This is a great starting place if you have just received a diagnosis of ASD, suspect you may have it, or want to learn more about it to help someone in your life who has it. It carefully and thoughtfully provides a roadmap for how to navigate and embrace your autism so that you can flourish. I really appreciated the book's emphasis on autism not as a deficit, but rather as a different set of skills. The author provided many practical tips and examples on how to handle different aspects of life with autism. My only critiques are that the organization of the book bothered me a bit. I liked the bullet-point format of most of the chapters, but after a while I got lost and found them repetitive as some of the information was found in multiple different sections. I wish it was put into a bit more of a cohesive/narrative format rather than loose chapters with bullets. I also found the ending a bit abrupt, and wish there was a conclusion of some kind.

Was this review helpful?

This book had so much helpful and useful information— I have pre-ordered the hardcover book for my collection and use for self care in all areas — so that I can be follow the book section by section and begin applying it to my life. Though, I’m not officially diagnosed as Autistic 95% of everything in this book screams me as an adult and as a child— I was shocked — but also relieved to know that I am Neurodivergent and mildly Autistic—this book has given me a place start —it will help my husband and I to better understand myself and how I react or interact in the world and with others around me. I am looking forward to receiving my hardcopy and being able to apply the techniques to make my navigation though life easier.
Thanks to Netgalley and Adams Media for this ARC . This is my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC! I’m also a big fan of @neurodivergent_insights !

I’ve been on a journey for self discovery. This book made me realize that there are lots of ways I could be at my best that I’m not advocating for. This book inspired me to be more productive but also take better care of myself.

Reading this helped me solidify some of the ways I operate differently from others at work, and why neurodivergence doesn’t need to be treated as the medical model would - pathologizing.

Was this review helpful?

This book interested me even though I'm not autistic, because I have some traits that are similar. I really enjoyed some of the self-care ideas, and it gave me insight into what autistic people go through daily.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Was this review helpful?

This book was such a well thought-out book, very diverse and knowledgeable on the topic. It was very comforting to read and had some good ideas and strategies.

Was this review helpful?

Extremely interesting and along the lines of the latest research that now seeks to broaden the autism label by moving it to a spectrum of neurodiversity. Increasingly it is now seen that not all people on the spectrum look like Rayman, especially if they are female or BIPOC, so they are looking for commonalities that not only make diagnosis easier (because they include empathy and a normointelligence), but also can give simple strategies to avoid succumbing to any kind of overstimulation.

Estremamente interessante e sulla linea delle ultime ricerche che cercano ormai di ampliare l'etichetta dell'autismo spostandola su uno spettro di neurodiversitá. Sempre di piú ormai si é visto che non tutte le persone sullo spettro assomigliano a Rayman, specialmente se di sesso femminile o BIPOC, per questo si stanno cercando dei punti di contatto che rendano non solo piú facile la diagnosi (perché includono l'empatia e una normointelligenza), ma anche possano fornire delle semplici strategie per evitare di soccombere a qualsiasi tipo do sovrastimolazione.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you for this ARC! I enjoyed reading this book and found a lot of helpful information that I am excited to try, as someone who is going through getting a diagnosis for neurodivergence. I especially appreciated the tips for those with ADHD as well as Autism! I was slightly thrown off by the lack of a conclusion chapter, but this does not take away from the book at all! I will be going back and rereading sections of this book to remind myself of ways I can practise self care while being mindful of the differences between myself and others.

Was this review helpful?

This book had so much helpful and useful information. I will be checking back into it from time to time to help with self-care. I’m not diagnosed as autistic but I highly suspect I am autistic. I try to get my hands on and read every bit of actually autistic literature I can find and I’m glad I got approved by Netgalley and the publisher for this title! Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

Was this review helpful?