Beating Anxiety

What Young People on the Autism Spectrum Need to Know

Davida Hartman, Kate Brangan

• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781785920752
• eBook ISBN: 9781784503352
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Abnormal Psychology
• Index: Psychology

Many young people on the autism spectrum struggle with anxiety, but did you know there are lots of simple things you can do to tackle it?

This illustrated book will help you to identify what makes you anxious, and contains heaps of activities to calm your body and mind, stop unhealthy anxiety building up and head off anxious feelings in the future. Did you know that giving your anxiety a silly name (like Dr Dread!) will give you power over it? That pretending you are a jellyfish can make your body feel better? That writing your worries down and jumping on them as hard as you can will help to squash them?

Ideal for children and young people aged 8 to 14, the ideas in this book will help you feel less stressed at home, at school and with friends, and give you healthy habits and coping techniques to last a lifetime.

THINGS YOU
CAN DO TO BEAT
ANXIETY

GET TO KNOW YOU

This seems a bit weird, doesn’t it?

You might be thinking, ‘Of course I know me.’

I know what I like (my dog and my iPad) and what I don’t like (broccoli and homework).

But actually, we all have stuff going on in our brains and our bodies that we aren’t aware of.

Like the thoughts we have when we are stressed (a kind of voice in your head – which is really just you!).

Or how our bodies feel when we are angry or anxious.

You might know you don’t like something but do you know why?

Do you know how being on the autism spectrum affects you?

Answer these questions to start getting to know you:

•In which places do you feel most relaxed?

•Of all the things you like doing, during which ones are you most relaxed?

•What time of the day do you feel most relaxed?

•With which people do you feel most relaxed?

•What kinds of things do you think about when you are relaxed? What does that ‘voice’ in your head say?

•How does your body feel when you are relaxed?

•What things do you choose to do when you are relaxed?

Also:

•In which places do you feel most anxious?

•Of all the things you don’t like doing, during which ones do you feel the most anxious?

•What time of the day do you feel most anxious?

•Is there anyone that you feel very anxious when you are around them?

•What kinds of things do you think about when you are anxious? What does that ‘voice’ in your head say?

•How does your body feel when you are anxious?

•What things do you choose to do when you are anxious?

Write, type or draw pictures of all of your answers. Make them into a list of things, all about YOU.

FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO ANSWER THESE? TRY THIS!

Use a 10-point scale (where 1 is very calm and 10 is anxiety meltdown). Do what you would do on any normal day, but every so often (maybe every half an hour – you can set a timer if it helps) note (1) where you are, (2) what you are doing, (3) who you are with and (4) how anxious you feel on a scale of 1 to 10. At the end of the day or week, look back at all your scores and see where, when and with whom you felt the most anxious. It is a good idea to get a trusted adult to help you with this.

CHANGE WHAT YOU CAN

Look over your list of things all about you.

In this list are things in your life that increase anxiety and things that decrease anxiety.

One of the best things that you can do for a calmer and happier life is to make CHANGES so that you are doing MORE of the things that decrease anxiety and LESS of the things that increase it.

Unfortunately, there are lots of things in life that you will want to change but can’t.

For example: school.

Lots of children feel anxious in school and don’t want to go.

But they have to because it is the law!

The good news is that even though you still have to go to school, there are things about school that you might be able to change.

•If your locker is in a busy hall, you could ask for it to be moved somewhere quieter.

•If you hate having nothing to do at break time, you could ask to do an activity you like, such as playing chess.

•If you don’t like the loud noise in the lunchroom, you could ask to eat your lunch somewhere else, or you could wear headphones.

•If music is something that really relaxes you and helps you get through the day, you could ask for scheduled ‘music breaks’.

•If your school bag is too heavy, you could ask to have two sets of books, one at home and one at school.

•If there is a lightbulb flickering somewhere that is really bothering you, you could tell a teacher.

•Someone might be bullying you. Telling your parents and teacher means that they can try to do something to stop it. You can also learn ways to deal with it.

Now make two new lists: ‘Things I CAN Change’ and ‘Things I CAN’T Change’ (remember they don’t all have to be about school!).

A trusted adult can help you with this.

A trusted adult can also help you with ideas about how to make these changes happen.

Accepting that you can’t change everything, but taking control and changing the things you can, is one of the best ways to beat anxiety!

LEARN ABOUT EMOTIONS
(AND TRY NOT TO AVOID THEM)

You are probably not going to like this one!

People on the a...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• Anxiety and the Autism Spectrum
• Things you can do to Beat Anxiety
• Extra Information for Adults
• About the Author
• Join Our Mailing List
• Dedication
• Copyright
• By The Same Author
• Endorsements