This book took me so long to get through, purely because of my autistic burnout but it felt so validating. I was a late diagnosis at 20 and was being diagnosed during my first huge autistic burnout and my goodness I wish I had resources like this to read and realise I was completely normal. This book validated all my experiences and has helped me explain it in easier language to my little brother who is also autistic. I’m so grateful for authors that write books like this, it’s really important work. Thank you

I found this book really helpful. It explained different issues in an easy to understand way. Thanks for the free read from netgalley. I found this book the day before it was archived!

Since I aspire to work with autistic and ADHD youth as a therapist, I am always on the lookout for resources that might help me broaden my understanding of how neurodivergent people experience the world, what they might struggle with due to their neurotype, and which ways to provide support are the most effective and affirming. In this sense, I was really grateful that I came across this book, because it helped me understand autistic burnout in much more depth than any university handbook ever has.

Due to the lack of public autism awareness among the general public, another thing I try to prioritise is my backlist of recommended reading for the people I work with and their loved ones. Families tend to feel overwhelmed upon learning that their relative is autistic, and might not know where to look for information or how to tell whether the resource they've picked up is legit and evidence-based. In this sense, this book is most certainly going to be one of my star recs for autistic teenagers and their families, friends, caretakers, and/or teachers, since it covers a struggle that's often overlooked or mistaken for defiance, laziness, or even a sign of ill intentions.

Viv Dawson's own autistic child illustrated this book, which I though was very lovely. Aside from being a lovely way to bond as a family, the fact that the two people involved in bringing this book to life were autistic was really wonderful in and of itself. Young autistic people often carry years' worth of stigma, low self-esteem, and negative stereotypes about themselves, because they have spent their whole life being censored or reprimanded for being different in ways they cannot control. They might be seen as cold, uncaring, too-literal, unimaginative and boring. The fact that this book was both written and illustrated by autistic people helps debunk such unfair stereotypes, and it's in this sense that I find it valuable to show autistic youth that they're capable of a lot more than they might've been told they are.

In regards to the book's contents, they are more of an informative buffet than a three-course meal. even though one can read it from beginning to end without running into any issues, it's best used as a suit-yourself selection of facts and tips about autistic burnout. There is information about what burnout looks and feels like; preventive measures that can help autistic folks avoid getting burnt out; triggers to look out for; strategies for whenever an autistic person is already experiencing it; and empowering reminders to prevent shame or guilt after an episode. While aimed primarily at autistic youth, I feel like families, therapists, teachers and all other people who are close to someone who's autistic will benefit from reading this guide.

Last, but not least, I do want to point out that I appreciated the effort put into making this text cognitively accessible. While some autistic people have little to no problems with language and reading, some others do struggle to process the meaning of what they're reading. Overly complex writing tends to make this worse, as does relying on figurative language rather than being clear and straightforward about what one means. In this sense, I was quite satisfied too. 100% recommended!

I absolutely loved this guide! I have suspected I have autism for a long time, but I have several other neurodivergent conditions and related heavily to the content. I honestly think this is a must-read for kids, teachers, and parents who have or care for those with neurodivergent conditions. I hope to see more from this author, as it had diverse scenarios and perspectives that really help anyone understand what's going on.

I did get this book as an arc on NetGalley, but all thoughts are my own. This was such an awesome nonfiction book. I'm trying to read more books about autism because I am autistic. I loved the accuracy of the autistic experience as described in this book. A must read.

This book is a helpful and easy-to-understand guide for young people who are just learning they are autistic. It explains important topics like autistic burnout in a clear way, with real stories from teens that make the information feel real and relatable. The tips and advice are practical and supportive, both for young readers and for parents or teachers who want to help. I appreciated that the author writes from a neurodivergent perspective, making the book feel sensitive and understanding. This is a great starting point for anyone beginning their neurodiversity journey. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an e-copy through Netgalley, many thanks to them and the author! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I think this is a great book for (young) people that are just starting with their neurodiversity journey, you could even give this to your (grand)parents! It explains everything really thoroughly and simple and has good tips! It was a quick read which was good as I normally don't have the patience for a large self-help book. And I think the stories from the teenagers give good practical examples of what is told in the text.

For me personally I think it was a good refresher but it didn't tell me anything that I didn't already know, and there was quite some repetition that I started to notice after a while. But I rated it for the audience that it was written for, which is young people, and so I give it 4 stars!

The book was sensitive, tremendously informative, written from a perspective of a neurodivergent author and featuring stories narrated by neurodivergent young people (including the overarching narrative about two sympathetic characters who experience autism and burnout differently). I learned a lot about autistic burnout and neurodivergency, including new terms and concepts, which will greatly help me in my sensitivity as an educator. Moreover, I learned a lot about myself while reading: even though I am neurotypical, I do experience burnout from too many social interactions as an introvert and some strategies introduced by the book are universal enough to help every reader. Definitely a must-read for parents, educators, or friends of neurodivergent young people!

I’m 48 and found out that I’m autistic 9 years ago. If life had been different, though, this book could have helped me a LOT when I was a pre-teen. It explains things in a way that is appropriate for 8-12 year olds, but wasn’t bad for an adult, either. In other words, if you’re the parent of an autistic child, this book will be helpful for you as well.

I imagine that certain parents won’t like that the book mentions that a traditional school might not work for autistics, especially when dealing with autistic burnout. However, if they truly want the best for their child, then it’s important to know the author is right.

Including two fictional characters and teaching certain things through their voices was a creative choice that should resonate with kids. This also allows someone around their age to ‘talk’ to them about their experiences of being autistic in a world that can be harsh and uncaring.

This book indicates that most autistics will experience autistic burnout between the ages of 11 and 16. That’s exactly what happened to me. I might not have found out until decades later, but everything I went through falls right in line with the experiences of being a young autistic person. I didn’t feel like I could go to school for around 6 weeks. It was a mess. Reading this back then would have made me feel better about myself, though.

The British author tried to include references based in the UK and America, which was appreciated. As a book for kids, I also appreciated that the author (who is also autistic, btw) repeated herself a few times while teaching new concepts.

This book is recommended to young people who have only recently become aware that they’re autistic. Those who have known since they were toddlers may feel like the book is somewhat beneath them, though.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

Being neurodivergent I really struggle to read non-fiction titles, as the vast majority are written for the larger target audience/majority neurotype.
'The Young Person’s Guide to Autistic Burnout' is an informative and easy to consume handbook, that is written FOR individuals with autism. Too often these types of books are poorly researched or only targeted to the neurotypical population as a form of education, so this book fills the gap in the market quite well.

The structure and prose utilised by Dawes is in my opinion definitely targeted towards young adults who are exploring their autistic traits/are freshly diagnosed with autism. There are plenty of graphics to break up the text, which will benefit those who lean towards learning better visually. I also love the individual case reflections used throughout the book, that provide contextual examples. For those individuals like me who take language very literally, reading and relating to the given situations is a fantastic way to educate on autism. This book provides real world situations that depict what autistic traits can look like off paper, in order to contextualise diagnostic criteria/traits into the way they may present via thoughts and behaviours.

For adults who are somewhat educated on neurodiversity, I'd recommend this may not be the book for you. Whilst it is well articulated for a younger or new audience, with my knowledge and age I perceived it to be condescending at times. The voice inside my head that read this was using the really soft spoken/'talking to a pet' voice, which is obviously just my interpretation of the text.

If you're young, or a parent looking for something to potentially assist their child's understanding of autism; I definitely recommend 'The Young Person’s Guide to Autistic Burnout!'

I wish this had existed a decade ago. Maybe two. My husband is AuDHD, I’m neurodivergent too, and this would’ve saved both of us a whole lot of spiraling, shutdowns, and miscommunication back when we were younger. That said, it’s still incredibly helpful now.

Viv Dawes nails it. The Young Person’s Guide to Autistic Burnout is the kind of resource that feels like a deep exhale. It’s clear and validating without being preachy, informative without being overwhelming, and—most importantly—it doesn’t pathologize being autistic. It treats burnout as something real and serious, not some inconvenient blip to power through with “self-care” and a to-do list.

The tone is accessible, compassionate, and deeply respectful of the lived experience of autistic folks. It’s aimed at younger readers, but honestly? Neurodivergent adults and loved ones (like me) will get just as much out of it. Whether you’re trying to understand your own brain better, support someone you love, or just survive late-stage capitalism with a crispy nervous system, this book is a damn gift.

As a parent, I always seek out resources that will help me be better and do better. I saw this book’s title and saw an opportunity to learn more about burnout and how it applies specifically to people on the spectrum. This was a great overview of autism, and I liked the format which included:

- short, impactful chapters
- illustrations (done by the author’s neurodivergent son!) with accompanying real life experiences that helped bring depth
- clear concise definitions
- a superb index and resource list!

4 ⭐️

This book is well written and has good explanation of how it is to go through an autistic burnout. The book is written for teenagers and the language is simple and easy to follow. It is nice that the information is combined with anecdotes of Luna and Jordan. However they both struggle with autistic burnout, they deal with it differently.

I learned a lot in this book and I would really recommend it to people who want to learn more about autism or people who struggle with autistic burnout themselves.

Thanks Netgalley for letting me read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really appreciated this book, i knew a lot of the information as ive done plenty of research before and since my diagnosis but i think the way this was written was really good for the age group its aimed at. And even myself as i do find a lot of the medical sides of things to be very complicated and difficult to understand. I would definitely recommend this book to people with autism and also the people around them to help understand what we go through too.

Turning from a small human into a larger human (also known as adolescence) is hard for most. But for neurodivergent people, it's even harder, because most of the instructions that circulate in the culture to help young people cope with that do not take into account the specific ways ND folks experience the world.

The series from Jessica Kingsley Publishers for young people on various aspects of autism addresses exactly this gap. This one focuses on autistic burnout more specifically, but it also explains broader aspects of autistic experience, so it can serve as a primer for someone who would like to understand more about their own (or someone they care about’s) autism. It draws the reader's attention to differences that need to be accounted for without perpetuating the stigmatizing approach of the medical model.

I liked that the book is written in an accessible way so that it can already be read by middle-grade readers, but without being condescending. Even I, as an adult who has been reading around the topic for a few months now, found many interesting new things and conceptualizations.

The author is herself autistic and a parent to an autistic teen, which significantly informs her perspective. Maybe Aspergirls wouldn't be an ideal point of comparison because this one is admittedly for a younger audience, but they are the two I've read so far that are specifically geared toward explaining the specificity of the autistic experience to younger people — and, wow, I’m just glad that the discourse has made such strides in just over a decade. (Yeah, I know Aspergirls was a huge one when it appeared, among the first books to acknowledge the specificity of autism in girls, but, gosh, it’s annoying in its unprocessed internalized ableism by today’s standards and should not be used to guide actual girls.)

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC. The opinion above is my own.

If you're looking to understand autistic burnout in a simple and practical way, this book is essential. It seems to be written with great empathy and warmth. The book avoids using technical or academic terms, making the language more accessible to everyone. You don't need to be an expert on the subject to understand it, and it explains various concepts like burnout itself, masking, and others.

It explains how to recognize autistic burnout, the key differences between this concept, depression, and anxiety, the most common causes of burnout, and how to prevent and manage these crises. This is one of the book's most wonderful aspects, as it offers not just generic tips, but concrete, neurodiversity-affirming actions—such as the importance of rest, setting boundaries, establishing routines, and communicating needs.

I must highlight, in closing, that the characters Luna and Jordan strike me as a very interesting pedagogical resource. Through them, we understand the theory explained throughout the book in a simpler way, almost like a conversation with a friend—like listening to someone talk about autism firsthand. This makes the information feel closer and more real.

Thus, it's clear this book offers great clarity on this issue for teenagers, families, friends, and teachers. It not only explains the 'why' but also provides practical tools to manage it, all with language that is rigorous, empathetic, and useful.

While this book is geared toward a middle school or teenage demographic, it’s perfectly suitable for adults with a new/ suspected diagnosis or who want to learn more. I don’t have a formal diagnosis, & there is a lot of overlap with ADHD, but wow, this book explained SO well, what I’ve been feeling and experiencing. This book can be a great tool to bridge a knowledge gap between someone with autism and a neurotypical person. This book communicates a lot of things that I try & fail to express to my partner. The book uses both information and examples from the experiences of two folks who have an autism diagnosis, in a clear and approachable way.

I very much enjoyed this book, guiding us through the information around Autistic Burnout. As someone recently diagnosed with Autism and ADHD and maybe techniqually a young person (under 25 lol) I learnt a lot about myself through reading this book. I really enjoy Luna and Jordan sections that help bring the information to life in the real world and the stories of hope are beautiful.

Also as someone who has studied psychology in the past I appreciated the nods and references to academics and researchers so I can go and research more if I wished to.

This books give a brilliant foundational knowledge of autism/neurodivergence and then the burn out we can struggle with. The book deals with the worst bits, suicidal thoughts and self-harm, really well while not shying away from it as it is a part of the experience.

I will be suggesting this book to my colleges as we work in CBT and I hope they can also take knowledge away from this of the experience that some of the children and young people we work with are dealing with.

This is also a great book for parents to further understand and support their children.

For readers out of the UK keep in mind that the support discussed such as CAMHS is a UK based mental health support but the information around neurodivergence and burnout can be understood all the same

Thank you for the opportunity to read this before release and I think I need to pick up a copy or two when it is published.

The Young Person's Guide To Autistic Burnout is an informative and easy read. This book is written by an autistic individual for other autistic persons and comes from a place of wanting other to succeed in life. This book is a must read, not only for young autistic people, but also for parents of autistic children who want to better understand what their children are going through. I cannot recommend this book enough for anyone seeking information on autistic burnout form the point of view of someone who has gone through it and helped other through it as well.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out this month. It's fine starter book about autistic burnout for younger teens. It's not a comprehensive guide by all means but it explains things well. Some solutions to burnout are really not available to everyone, and will come down to having certain privileges.