Jeanette Purkis. Autism and resilience. Please leave this section empty for live captioning service

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1 Jeanette Purkis Autism and resilience Please leave this section empty for live captioning service

2 Autism and resilience Jeanette Purkis

3 About Jeanette Author Masters graduate Homeowner Public speaker Self-advocate Public servant since 2007

4 About Jeanette Overcame extreme hardship Bullying at school Mental illness Criminal lifestyle Drug lifestyle Poverty

5 Why resilience? Meeting Adam Realising that diagnosis can lead to self-doubt Wanting to instil independence in young people Book, TEDx, conferences

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7 What is independence? Independence is the ability to manage your own: Finances Accommodation Relationships and friendships Employment Health Leisure

8 What impedes independence? Focus on deficits Emphasis on the dis and not the ability Structures which encourage dependence Significant parental anxiety Being denied the opportunity to manage your own life

9 What issues do Autistic people face? Sense of difference Bullying & discrimination Anxiety Being Mac OSX in a Windows world Communication Sensory issues Meltdowns

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11 What is resilience? Overcoming adversity through tackling issues Builds confidence and mastery Builds transferable skills and wisdom Has flow-on effects through other areas of life Promotes ongoing independence

12 What is resilience not? Doesn t follow the same path with everyone Not possible to acquire instantly You wont be bullied if you get some resilience Doesn't stop bad things happening Instead it can lessen the impact of the challenge

13 What does resilience look like? Grows out of overcoming difficulties Often takes a long time to realise Can happen unnoticed, incrementally over time Is an enabler for success, strength and independence

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15 Things that promote resilience? Self-acceptance Assumption of competence Positive attitude towards challenges Social/emotional support Exercise, meditation, mindfulness Positive self-talk

16 Challenges to resilience Perfectionism Low self-esteem Assumption of incompetence Disability and / or physical or mental illness Social isolation Negative self-talk

17 Why do Autistic people need resilience? Societal focus on what we can t do At times parental focus on what kids can t do We tend to be prone to risk factors around lacking resilience Helps build self-esteem and value

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19 What can resilient people do? Take on new challenges Value themselves Challenge anxiety and catastrophising Have confidence in themselves Assist others through mentoring and advocacy This is true of Autistic and neurotypical people

20 How to build resilience Resilience can grow incrementally over time without you even noticing Choose to challenge yourself a little with a task or activity Controlled challenges Use your supports to build independence View adversity as a teacher

21 What are controlled challenges? Start introducing controlled challenges for young people as soon as they get a diagnosis How hard should challenges be? How does this work? strengthen your / your child s resilience muscle

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23 How to make adversity your friend Adversity is inevitable Societal attitudes to adversity Adversity as a teacher Ways to approach adversity: What did I learn from that? Good anecdote in a year s time

24 You sense of self Your attitudes and actions determine what kind of person you are Resilient people: More likely to value themselves Less negative Self-respect Often set reasonable boundaries

25 Failing successfully Children are often not taught to fail Failing is generally not the end of the world Failure and Autie perfectionism and anxiety Learning early far better than as an adult Failing successfully is great for resilience and self-confidence

26 My resilience journey

27 How did I become resilient? Incremental process Made a LOT of mistakes and learned from them Getting first job Returning to uni when unwell Moving to Canberra Overcoming mental illness

28 Things to take away Autistic people are capable but that capability may need to be unlocked Don t underestimate us Deficits thinking can be a self-fulfilling prophecy Overcoming one issue translates into wisdom and the capacity to overcome other obstacles Resilience is a key skill which impacts all areas of life

29 Things to consider What are the barriers to resilience? Where to draw the line between support and disempowerment What are the benefits of resilience? How hard is it to allow Autistic children and young people to face difficulties? What can you do?

30 Contact Jeanette: Web: Facebook: books/