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The Young Person’s Guide to Autistic Burnout
Maybe you've heard of autistic burnout before and want to learn more, or maybe you're feeling burnt out right now and really need help - however this book finds you, it's here to help.
In this informative and supportive guide, autistic author and advocate, Viv Dawes, gently provides you with all the information you need about autistic burnout: what causes it, how to prevent it and what helps with recovery.
Including artwork from an autistic teen illustrator as well as first person lived experience stories, it will show you that you're not alone.
Let's shed some light on how you're feeling and explore all the ideas and strategies that will help you to feel better.
In this informative and supportive guide, autistic author and advocate, Viv Dawes, gently provides you with all the information you need about autistic burnout: what causes it, how to prevent it and what helps with recovery.
Including artwork from an autistic teen illustrator as well as first person lived experience stories, it will show you that you're not alone.
Let's shed some light on how you're feeling and explore all the ideas and strategies that will help you to feel better.
128 pages, Paperback
Published July 21, 2025
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 28, 2025
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
The Young Person's Guide to Autistic Burnout is a non-fiction book to help tweens and teens understand, recognise, and cope with burnout as well as the recovery from it and things that can help.
The book includes two fictional characters with first-person experience stories to help the book feel more relatable to the reader.
I primarily requested this book because my daughter is currently undergoing the journey for an ASD diagnosis and really struggles with the daily challenges of high school since transitioning from primary to secondary last year. This was a very interesting, enlightening, and helpful book for myself as a parent and is one I will definitely be purchasing for her in the future.
The Young Person's Guide to Autistic Burnout is a non-fiction book to help tweens and teens understand, recognise, and cope with burnout as well as the recovery from it and things that can help.
The book includes two fictional characters with first-person experience stories to help the book feel more relatable to the reader.
I primarily requested this book because my daughter is currently undergoing the journey for an ASD diagnosis and really struggles with the daily challenges of high school since transitioning from primary to secondary last year. This was a very interesting, enlightening, and helpful book for myself as a parent and is one I will definitely be purchasing for her in the future.
July 13, 2025
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.
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.
July 1, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I’ve been trying to read more books about autism in hopes of finding some great resources to help my daughter as she gets older. However, this book was just not that. I appreciated that it was written directly for autistic teens but it honestly felt almost.. dumbed down? The language felt condescending to me, like talking to a much younger audience than teens.
And I totally would’ve been fine with that and just given it to her at a younger age and read it with her if that was the case. But the other thing I really didn’t love was that it almost seemed like it was encouraging autistic kids to just drop out of school. Sometimes it suggested homeschool but mostly every chapter had Luna/Jordan or the author mentioning school as almost the exclusive reason for burnout. Which I understand is true for some kids but surely not every single autistic child should just drop out to play video games? That was truly my biggest hang up for this book, as my daughter is extremely easily influenced and she would for sure read this book and want to drop out of school.
I’ve been trying to read more books about autism in hopes of finding some great resources to help my daughter as she gets older. However, this book was just not that. I appreciated that it was written directly for autistic teens but it honestly felt almost.. dumbed down? The language felt condescending to me, like talking to a much younger audience than teens.
And I totally would’ve been fine with that and just given it to her at a younger age and read it with her if that was the case. But the other thing I really didn’t love was that it almost seemed like it was encouraging autistic kids to just drop out of school. Sometimes it suggested homeschool but mostly every chapter had Luna/Jordan or the author mentioning school as almost the exclusive reason for burnout. Which I understand is true for some kids but surely not every single autistic child should just drop out to play video games? That was truly my biggest hang up for this book, as my daughter is extremely easily influenced and she would for sure read this book and want to drop out of school.
August 25, 2025
The Young Person’s Guide to Autistic Burnout feels like a successor to the The Awesome Autistic Guide series from the same publishing house (Jessica Kingsley Publishers). Though this short book (only 128 pages) is geared more toward preteens and teens, it can be useful for autistic adults as well. Viv Dawes, an autistic adult, guides us through the world of autistic burnout, which is very different than what is commonly known as burnout. In addition, there are two teenage autistics that have different burnout journeys that serve as examples. The book is split into three parts. The first is about understanding what autism is, autistic traits, and common terms. Hyperfocus and monotropic brains are a big focus to the understanding of autistic burnout, as autistics are more likely to focus on a few things instead of focusing on many things. The second focuses on breaking down the causes of burnout, which include, masking, fulfilling the demands and expectations of others, running out of energy, school pressure, puberty, emotions and senses. The final part goes into recovery, all about regaining energy after burnout, and ends with some stories from real autistic young persons. There’s also a glossary in the back of the book. Side note for Americans: this is written in UK English. Highly recommended!
*I received a review copy from Netgalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers. All opinions are my own.*
*I received a review copy from Netgalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers. All opinions are my own.*
June 28, 2025
As a clinician, I would find this book very helpful in my practice for both kids and adults to discuss autistic burnout, as well as other important aspects of being on the spectrum. It is written in a neuro-diverse affirming way.
note: This book discusses education planning and healthcare that appear to be outside of the United States, and therefore may not apply to US residents.
note: This book discusses education planning and healthcare that appear to be outside of the United States, and therefore may not apply to US residents.
July 18, 2025
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!
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!
July 21, 2025
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!'
'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!'
July 6, 2025
ARC acquired from Net Galley and Jessica Kingsley Publisher
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.
#theyoungpersonsguidetoautisticburnout
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.
#theyoungpersonsguidetoautisticburnout
December 29, 2025
I stumbled across this book at the library. This is a subject I don’t know a lot about so even though I am very far from the target audience (nearly middle-aged woman who isn’t autistic and who doesn’t work with or parent autistic young people) I decided I’d pick this up and start learning.
This book is excellent.
It presumes the competence of its readers and has a reassuring encouraging tone.
There’s lots of useful information on what autism is, how burnout happens, what is happening in the nervous system, and different ways to recover from burnout and reduce the chances of it happening again.
But, all this information is presented in small digestible chunks with links to articles and books for people to learn more.
The author is autistic and shares just enough of her own experiences to form a connection with her autistic readers without shifting the focus away from the book’s main goal, empowering readers with education and encouragement.
This book is excellent.
It presumes the competence of its readers and has a reassuring encouraging tone.
There’s lots of useful information on what autism is, how burnout happens, what is happening in the nervous system, and different ways to recover from burnout and reduce the chances of it happening again.
But, all this information is presented in small digestible chunks with links to articles and books for people to learn more.
The author is autistic and shares just enough of her own experiences to form a connection with her autistic readers without shifting the focus away from the book’s main goal, empowering readers with education and encouragement.
July 23, 2025
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!
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!
July 7, 2025
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.
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.
July 16, 2025
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.
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.
July 7, 2025
Thank you Net Galley for access to this! This book was very informative, and I learned many new things about autism and neurodivergency than I previously knew. I think this book was meant for skipping around to what you need because I read it all the way through and felt it repeated quite a few times but it was useful regardless!
August 8, 2025
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.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews