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Resources

Our initial resources include the following areas: wellbeing, publications, media, and our privacy policy. If you would like us to consider any other related resources published, do contact us on: info@lotuscollaborations.org

Wellbeing

Autistic survivors of sexual violence and related abuse tap into a wide array of resources to support their wellbeing throughout their recovery. This section is about supporting your journey: discover resources tailored to neurodivergent wellbeing.

Counselling Approaches

Autistic survivors often experience barriers to accessing this type of support as approaches offered show little understanding of our lived experiences of either autism / sexual violence and related abuse. The resources included in this section have been shown to be accessible to a greater number of autistic survivors.

Hallett, S. & Kerr, C. (2020) ‘You need support, validation, good coping skills. You need and deserve acceptance”: Autistic Adult Experiences of Counselling. Autistic Mental Health & Autistic Mutual Aid Society Edinburgh AMASE). 

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Cromar, L. (2019) A Literature Review Exploring the Efficacy of Person-Centred Counselling for Autistic People.

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Thompson, L. and Willetts, B. (2019) Towards a Trauma-Informed Approach with People who have Experienced Sexual Violence.

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Gender

Exploring Identity: Resources for LGBTQIA+ Autistic Teens and Adults

Ekins, E. (2021) Queerly Autistic: The Ultimate Guide for LGBTQIA+ Teens on the Spectrum. London: Jessica Kingsley.

Henry, D. (2017) Trans Voices: Becoming Who You Are. London: Jessica Kingsley.

Kourti, M. (Ed). (2021) Working with Autistic Transgender and Non-Binary People: Research, practice and experience. London: Jessica Kingsley.

Windust, J. (2020) In Their Shoes: Navigating non-binary life. London: Jessica Kingsley.

Mental Health

Navigating Mental Health: Guides and Personal Stories from the Autistic Community

May, K. (2020) Wintering: The power of rest and retreat in difficult times. London: Penguin.

Purkis, Y. (2024) A Life Lived Well as A Non-Binary and Autistic Mental health Advocate: Finding a place of Hope. New York: Lived Places Publishing.

Simone, R. (2010) Aspergirls: Empowering Females with Asperger Syndrome: London: Jessica Kingsley.

Publications and Media

Books

Curated Library: Essential Reads on Autism and Neurodiversity

Beardon, L. (2019) Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Adults. London: Sheldon Press.

Booth, J. 20116) Autism Equality in the Workplace: Removing Barriers and challenging Discrimination. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Jones, C. (2021) Safeguarding Autistic Girls: Strategies for Professionals. London: Jessica Kingsley.

Milton, D. (Ed) ( 2020) The Neurodiversity Reader: Exploring concepts, lived experience and implications for practice.

Ridout, S. (2020) Neurodivergence, Autism, and Recovery from Sexual Violence: A practical resource for all those working to support victim-survivors. Hove: Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd.

Ridout, S. (2020) Autism and Mental Wellbeing in Higher Education: a practical resource for students, mentors, and study skills support workers (2nd Edn). Hove: Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd.

Ridout, S. and Haywood,C. (2019) Neurodivergence, Autism, and recovery from Sexual Violence. Lulu Self-Publishing (Paperback/Kindle/Tablet) http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/SusyRidout

Silberman, S. (2015) Neurotribes: the legacy of autism and how to think smarter about people who think differently. London: Allen and Unwin.

Walker, N. (2021) Neuroqueer Heresies: notes on the neurodiversity paradigm, autistic empowerment, and positional possibilities. Fort Worth: Autonomous Press.

Book Chapters

Luminet, O., Nielson, K.A., and Ridout, N. (2024) Introduction – having no words for feelings: alexithymia as a fundamental personality dimenson at the interface of cognition and emotion. Routledge.

Ridout, S. (2020) Establishing neurodivergent authorship in the sexual violence debate pp275-286. In: Ryan, S. and Milton, D. [Eds.] The Neurodiversity Reader. Hove: Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd.

Ridout, S. (2016) Wellbeing and Creative Methodologies as a Tool for Communicating with Health and Social Care Practitioners. In: Autism and Intellectual Disability in Adults (1) pp45-47. Hove: Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd.

Online Media

Ridout, S. (2018) ‘Involve neurodivergent survivors in shaping responses.’ Mental Health Today. Hove: Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd.

Peer-reviewed Academic Journal Article 

Buckle, K.L. (2020) “No way out except from external intervention”: First- hand account of autistic inertia. Frontiers in Psychology.

Chown, N.P. (2014) More on the ontological status of the double empathy problem. Disability and Society. 29(9). Milton, D. (2012) ‘On the ontological status of autism: the double empathy problem.’ Disability and Society 27(6) pp883-887.

Hollomotz, A., Burch, L, and Bashall, R. (2023) Formal support need of disabled adult victim-survivors of sexual violence: a qualitative research report. London: Ministry of Justice. 

Murray, F. (2019) Me and Monotropism: a unified theory of autism. The Psychologist. British Psychological Society.

Ridout, S. (2022) “People Like You…”: Unacceptable Responses that Trivialise Justice for neurodivergent Victim-Survivors of Gender-Based Violence.” The International Journal of Interdisciplinary and Community Studies. ISSN: 2324

Ridout, S. (2020) Neurodivergence and the Gaslighting of Rape – a call for an improved societal response. The International Journal of Interdisciplinary and Community Studies 15(2).

Ridout, S. (2014) More Than Just Picture-Making: reflecting on collage as a narrative tool for opening discourse on the involvement of autistics in autism research. Autonomy, the Critical Journal of Interdisciplinary Autism Studies 1(2).

Reports

College of Policing and Operation Soteria (2022-2024) Operation Soteria – Transforming the Investigation of Rape. London: National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC). https://www.npcc.police.uk/our-work/violence-against-women-and-girls/operation-soteria/

Training Film

Ridout, S. (2019) Empowering and Inclusive Support from a Specialist Service. Birmingham: Rape and Sexual Violence Project and Serious Media.

Policies and Procedures

Website Privacy Policy

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