Healing Autistic Burnout: A Neuroaffirming Guide for Connecting with Your Authentic Self, Restoring Your Energy, and Advocating for Your Needs

It's time to prioritize self-care, advocate for your needs, and heal from autistic burnout. Written by an autistic therapist for autistic readers, this compassionate guide can help you get started.

If you are autistic, you may struggle with the stress of everyday life. You might mask--or attempt to appear as neurotypical--in order to get through the day at school, work, or even with friends. The world may feel overwhelming--full of noises, smells, and textures that trigger your sensitivity. And, finally, you may feel like you are constantly bending to others' expectations, and always putting your own needs last. Is it any wonder, then, that you are experiencing burnout?

Healing Autistic Burnout offers mindfulness and self-reflective exercises to help you overcome the symptoms of autistic burnout--including emotional overwhelm, sensory overstimulation, and mental exhaustion. With this powerful guide, you will find neuroaffirming strategies to nurture rest and recovery, cultivate greater self-awareness and understanding, and advocate for your needs. You'll also find tips and tools to help you preserve your energy, stay present in the moment, improve communication with others, set boundaries when needed, and tune in to your individual needs and strengths.

With this book, you will learn:

• What to do when it feels like you've "hit the wall"
• What's causing your burnout, and how to recharge
• How to cultivate radical self-acceptance
• All about the importance of special interests--the things you are passionate about!
• How to connect with your authentic self

Autistic burnout is not a failure. It is simply a signal that things need to change. Written by an autistic psychotherapist who has been there herself, this much-needed book can help you get started--one step at a time.

Sharon Kaye O'Connor, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, educator, consultant, and writer in New York, NY. She is coauthor of the book, Academic and Student Affairs in Collaboration. In addition to traditional psychotherapy, Sharon is an ordained Spiritualist minister, and has trained in holistic modalities including Reiki, breathwork, energy healing, and meditation.

As an autistic clinician, Sharon writes and teaches extensively about autism--from an autistic perspective--with the mission of translating the experience into further understanding and support for the autistic community.

Foreword writer William Stillman is an award-winning author of ten books on autism and special needs parenting, including Demystifying the Autistic Experience, Empowered Autism Parenting, and his groundbreaking work Autism and the God Connection, among others. His books have been featured on The Glenn Beck Show and the NBC hit series Parenthood. Stillman has also served on several autism advisory boards, including AUTCOM (the Autism National Committee).