The Autistic Guide to Adventure

Active Pursuits from Archery to Wild Swimming for Tweens and Teens

Allie Mason

Illustrated by Ella Willis

It’s time for a new generation of autistic adventurers!

Outdoor adventuring can be life changing - it makes you physically and mentally stronger, takes you to new places and introduces you to new friends, as well as being an exhilarating challenge - but it can be stressful when there are unexpected social and sensory challenges involved. Allie Mason, autistic adventurer extraordinaire, is here to help.

Join Allie as she introduces activities ranging from archery to stargazing, sailing to fossil hunting, snorkeling to nature-writing - and so much more. Each easily digestible factsheet comes with a short introduction, a summary of the sensory experiences involved, suggestions on approaching activities for when you’re just getting started, as well as a handy budgeting system.

With personal anecdotes and interviews with awesome autistic athletes, this book will give you the support you need to take on the great outdoors.

‘Want to give an Autistic child, or a young adult, the gift of enchantment in a world that is inaccessible? This is the book they need - I just wish that this had been around when I was a child.’ Lydia Wilkins, journalist and author of The Autism Friendly Cookbook

______________ the just dinosaur bones out there, however. Fossil finds also include the human skeletons of our ancient ancestors and the tusks of Ice Age woolly mammoths, plus shells and plants and suchlike.

Why Try It?

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to share your favourite hobby with a Roman emperor? If you take up fossil hunting, you’ll soon find out! The emperor Augustus loved to keep his fossil collection on full display for his guests to admire when they visited. At that time, the Romans thought that fossils were relics of mythical creatures, untamed beasts and sea monsters. To some extent, they were right. Nowadays, if you were to find a fossil that you believed had important scientific value, it would be your responsibility to report it to your local museum. That way the discovery can be appropriately studied and identified, as well as shared with the public, for anyone to visit.

Sensory Expectations

Due to the fact that one of the most common locations to find fossils is on the coast, you can expect very similar sensory inputs to other active pursuits in this book such as beachcombing. You’ll definitely be getting up close and personal with lots of sedimentary rocks, so be prepared for textural encounters with grainy and gritty surfaces. Looking for patterns like the honeycomb structure of dinosaur bones or the spiral shells of ammonites can be great visual stimulation, and the soothing sound of ocean waves can have a calming aural effect.

Getting Started!

So now that you’ve decided to take up fossil hunting, you’re going to need to choose a beach to start your search at. It would be sensible to time your visit for when the tide is falling, and also try to go in the seasons of winter or spring. But Allie, I hear you cry, won’t the coast be colder during those seasons? Whilst that is a very good point, as it might well be, it’s in winter or spring when the likelihood of finding a fossil is at its highest. The wind, rain and rough seas will have had the chance to scour the surface of the rocks that you’ll be searching, potentially revealing hidden bones beneath. You’ll definitely want to wear sturdy footwear with a grippy sole, because clambering over rocks can be dangerous. If you’d feel more confident as part of a small group, locations that are well-known for discovering fossils (such as the Jurassic Coast in England) have tour operators who can take you to the most likely spots for unearthing your own ancient find.

FOSSIl HUNTING 65

He’s Not Naughty! A Children’s Guide to Autism

Deborah

Brownson

Illustrated by Ben Mason mAR 2019 | £10.99 | 6–11 ye ARS | 80 PP | PB |

Fed up of everyone not understanding her friend Jake, Taryn candidly explains her understanding of autism, and why Jake’s behaviour isn’t naughty! This book is quick and fun way for children aged 6 plus to learn about autism and the vibrant illustrations provide a unique visual representation of what it’s like to be autistic.

Autism

Abracadabra

Seven Magic Ingredients to Help Develop Your Child’s Interactive Attention Span

Kate Wilde

ISBN-9781785928727

The Awesome Autistic Go-To Guide

A Practical Handbook for Autistic Teens and Tweens

Yenn Purkis and Tanya Masterman

Foreword by Emma Goodall

This is a guide for young people aged 10-14 on the autism spectrum. It encourages teens and tweens to identify their strengths, suggests how they can develop their identity, and celebrates neurodiversity. It also has tips for managing tricky situations such as anxiety and meltdowns, as well as fun activities and interactive sections.

A PR 2020 | £12.99 | 10–14 ye ARS | 112 PP | PB 14 B l A ck AND W h I te c AR too NS |

ISBN-9781787753167

Queerly Autistic

The Ultimate Guide For LGBTQIA+ Teens On The Spectrum

Erin Ekins

This book is filled with magical game ideas and creative activities designed for children on the autism spectrum to maximise connection and social interaction. Covering everything from trains and planes to household appliances, animals and popular TV and film characters, each activity can also be adapted to suit your child’s needs and interests.

Kate C. Wilde has struck gold with her book Autism

Abracadabra enables families to connect through positivity and joy.’ Amy KD Tobik, Editor-in-Chief of Exceptional Needs

Today and Publisher, Lone Heron Publishing mAy 2022 | £14.99 | 240 PP | PB |

ISBN-9781787757516

LONGLISTED FOR THE POLARI CHILDREN’S & YA BOOK PRIZE

From coming out to friends and family, staying safe in relationships and practicing safe sex, through to self-care and coping with bullying, being out and about in the LGBTQIA+ community and undergoing gender transition, this book is filled with essential information, advice, support and resources to help you on your journey, and also works as a primer on all things LGBTQIA+ for non-autistic teens who are just figuring it all out.

‘As an autistic person who both got my autism diagnosis and came into my queerness later in life, it is hard to express the feeling of comfort there was in reading a book written for the confused queer autistic kid I was.’ Kate Sauder, disability scholar and blogger

A PR 2021 | £12.99 | 12–18 ye ARS | 240 PP | PB |

ISBN-9781787751712