Social Work with Autistic People

This book will help social workers and practitioners to find achievable solutions to support autistic people - including those with complex needs - to live fulfilling lives in their communities.

Far too many autistic people are currently in inappropriate institutional placements, putting their basic human rights at risk and experiencing a poor quality of life. Good quality support for autistic people is achievable, even in a social care system under pressure. This book will help practitioners to develop high quality community support to facilitate discharges and prevent admissions, by providing them with effective, practical strategies to communicate with and more effectively support autistic people right across the spectrum.

Common assumptions and beliefs are challenged, including the idea that 'behaviours' are an inevitable part of autism, and practical approaches are offered to promote autonomy, respect for human rights and empathy with autistic perspectives as a basis for preventing distressed behaviour. This will enable practitioners to support and empower all autistic people to achieve a good quality of life in their communities.

“It has been a pleasure and privilege to read this textbook. A privilege because it is very evident that this is a subject in which Yo feels passionate and extraordinarily knowledgeable and insightful. A text that, in my view as an educator in social work, more than fills a gap. In my experience, Yo is right to say that social work and working with autistic people is an area that is at best only briefly discussed in pre-qualifying social work. The structure and content of the book are easy to follow and provides a range of very powerful stages, observations, legal literacy and case studies, for all of us who are continuously wishing to improve and develop our social work practice to pause and critically reflect, not just on our individual practice but how and in what way organisations and society at large work with autistic people. I commend this book to all social workers, be they students, child & family, adult or in education, and I will certainly be drawing upon the content to support my teaching and learning responsibilities.”

-- Paul Hollingdale, Senior Lecturer, Division of Social Care and Counselling, University of Huddersfield
This book is wise, thoughtful, and above all practical. Whilst its primary audience may well indeed be social workers, it should equally be compulsory reading for lawyers, who experience has taught require all the help that they can get responding to the needs of persons with autism. -- Alex Ruck Keene, Barrister, 39 Essex Chambers and Visiting Lecturer, King’s College London
This book is written in an accessible and engaging way by an author who really knows her stuff, from the practical application of the law to the deep understanding of what it's really like to be an autistic person living in the world today. This is not like other texts on autism; it gives an insight that is rarely seen, I recommend that everyone with an interest in autism reads this book. -- Kabie Brook, Autistic activist, co-founder of Autism Rights Group Highland, and National Autistic Taskforce Board Member

Yo Dunn is an independent trainer and consultant who works across the public sector, specialising in autism and law. She creates and delivers high level training for social workers on the legal frameworks of social care, safeguarding and autism for a variety of clients, including many English local authorities.

Achievable solutions for social workers working with autistic people - including those with complex needs - to maintain full lives in their communities, and avoid inappropriate institutional placements. Practical, autism-specific approaches are offered to enable practitioners to support and empower autistic people to achieve a good quality of life. This book will help social workers and practitioners to find achievable solutions to support autistic people - including those with complex needs - to live fulfilling lives in their communities. Far too many autistic people are currently in inappropriate institutional placements, putting their basic human rights at risk and experiencing a poor quality of life. Good quality support for autistic people is achievable, even in a social care system under pressure. This book will help practitioners to develop high quality community support to facilitate discharges and prevent admissions, by providing them with effective, practical strategies to communicate with and more effectively support autistic people right across the spectrum. Common assumptions and beliefs are challenged, including the idea that behaviours are an inevitable part of autism, and practical approaches are offered to promote autonomy, respect for human rights and empathy with autistic perspectives as a basis for preventing distressed behaviour. This will enable practitioners to support and empower all autistic people to achieve a good quality of life in their communities.

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