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Building capacity: recovery from autistic burnout is like strength training
Recovering from autistic burnout is rather like recovering after exercise. Just as muscles grow stronger through balancing activity with rest, autistic children and young people rebuild capacity by balancing manageable demands with sufficient recovery, gradually increasing resilience without pushing through exhaustion.
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Co-dysregulation and co-regulation when your child or young person is experiencing autistic burnout
Autistic burnout affects the whole family. Understanding co-dysregulation and co-regulation can help you recognise how nervous systems influence one another, reduce unintentional stress, and create the safety, connection, and space your child or young person needs to recover.
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How self-determination theory can help when your child is recovering from autistic burnout – part 3
Part 3 of our self-determination theory (SDT) series turns theory into practice. Explore simple, low-pressure strategies that can support autonomy, competence, and relatedness while helping your child recover from autistic burnout and gradually rebuild their capacity and wellbeing.
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How self-determination theory can help when your child is recovering from autistic burnout – part 2
In Part 2 of our series on self-determination theory (SDT) and autistic burnout, we explore how SDT can support parents as well as children. Learn how understanding your own needs can help you rebuild confidence, reduce isolation, and navigate the challenges of burnout while supporting your child’s recovery.
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How self-determination theory can help when your child is recovering from autistic burnout – part 1
At first glance, self-determination theory (SDT) might seem like an abstract academic concept. Yet it offers powerful insights into autistic burnout and recovery. Discover how supporting autonomy, competence, and relatedness can help create the conditions your child needs to recover and thrive.
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SEND reform: the gap between policy and reality
An exploration of the widening gap between SEND policy and the lived realities of children, families, and schools. While reform promises inclusion and support, many young people continue to face unmet needs, inaccessible education, delayed support, and systems struggling under increasing pressure.
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Supporting the child behind the mask – a mother’s perspective
A mother reflects on supporting her child’s internalised presentation of autism beyond the compliant mask seen at school. Through nuanced, compassionate care, she explores the hidden cost of masking, sensory overwhelm, anxiety, and meltdowns – and the deep understanding needed to support the child behind the mask.
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Sleep difficulties when a child or young person is experiencing autistic burnout
Sleep can become unpredictable during autistic burnout, with children awake at night or sleeping for long stretches. These changes reflect a stressed nervous system, not behaviour to fix. Reducing demands and prioritising safety and rest is key, allowing sleep patterns to gradually improve as your child recovers.
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Parental guilt when your child or young person is experiencing burnout
Parental guilt can feel overwhelming when your child is experiencing autistic burnout. This post explores why recognising burnout takes time, how systems can deepen doubt, and why letting go of guilt matters – so you can focus your energy on understanding, supporting, and responding to your child’s needs now.
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What to do when your young person is struggling with oral hygiene in burnout
During burnout, a young person may find that everyday self-care tasks, like brushing their teeth, feel impossible. This guide offers gentle, low-demand oral hygiene tips and alternatives to help protect dental health while reducing stress, sensory overwhelm, and pressure.
Unmasking Autistic Burnout 