Parenting When You're Autistic

The book every neurodivergent parent will wish they had discovered earlier - filled with neurodiversity-affirming, positive but also realistic advice on navigating parenthood, and topped off with the experiences of 100 other neurodivergent parents too so you KNOW it will be relatable. – Cathy Wassell, CEO of Autistic Girls Network and Author of Nurturing Your Autistic Young PersonAs an autistic parent myself I felt the double whammy of pressure when I had children. The pressure to fit in as a human being and then ticking the boxes of being a parent. In order to be accepted and deemed a good enough parent we and our children need to follow the textbook neurotypical expectations. What Dr Pooky has offered us here is an unapologetic, authentic, validating acceptance of ourselves. Recognising, normalising and supporting our needs without any judgement. This book offers safety to us parents who are made to feel bad and judged for having needs and doing things differently. It feels like a warm validating loving firm hug! – Jodie Clarke, autistic parent and autism specialistThis is a great book for any neurodivergent parent! Full of realistic ideas and self-reflection prompts in bitesize chunks so you can come back to it again and again. – Courtney Freedman-Thompson, AuDHD somatic coach, Chameleon Coaching

Praise for Things I Got Wrong So You Don’t Have To:Humorous at times, hard hitting but good for the soul…. We can all relate to the lessons learnt, feelings shared and only become a better person after reading this book.

Praise for Things I Got Wrong So You Don’t Have To:Such a valuable and practical guide to taking care of your most precious asset - your mental health. Filled with immediately relevant advice, based on a disarming and always honest reflection on life, this book will help huge numbers of people.

Praise for Things I Got Wring So You Don’t Have To:This book is a gift for anybody struggling with their mental health or self-esteem. It’s full of lessons in learning and growing, and most importantly in forgiving ourselves for living imperfect lives. Pooky shares so much wisdom, and the exercises at the end of each chapter help to personalise the learning we can take from Pooky’s wealth of experience, both personal and professional. A truly wonderful resource for anyone hoping to overcome their imposter syndrome and be kinder to themselves.

Pooky Knightsmith has a PhD in child mental health from the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London. She is the author of several books, and is a former chair of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition and a managing director at Creative Education. Pooky is autistic; a late diagnosis has helped her to thrive following many years of anorexia, depression and anxiety. She has a YouTube channel which is a source of Continuing Professional Development for many educators in the UK and beyond.