Adolescence is a time of change. Some of these changes are outside a young person’s control, but others require making decisions. That might be what to do after leaving secondary school, which subjects to study, or decisions about relationships with others.
Many people struggle with aspects of school life, but for autistic people, it can be especially difficult. They may understand teachers’ instructions differently, find it hard to navigate the complexities of social life, and struggle with loud corridors or busy rooms.
Autism is not a mental health problem. But some autistic young people experience challenges with their mental health – and research shows they’re more likely to than people who are not autistic.
ender norms are a society’s ideas and expectations about how people of different genders should act and relate to each other. In most communities, gender norms help to maintain a system of hierarchy where what is seen as male and masculine is given power and privilege while females and other gender identities are marginalised.
Young adulthood is also a time of self-discovery. During their adolescent years, young people often explore questions of identity, such as gender identity, religion, culture, and sexuality. Young people start to build a picture of who they are, where they come from, what they want, and where they are heading.
Moving on to further education can feel exciting, but it can also be very different from their school years. Young people may experience a range of emotions, including nervousness, excitement, and worry.
Many people think that autistic children and adolescents aren’t interested in making friends or spending time with others. However, for a lot of young people in the autism community, this isn’t true. Autistic people often want to be close to others and seek companionship, but lack the social skills to make friendships a reality.
In the past, people thought that many more boys than girls were autistic. Diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder among girls and women were very rare and diagnostic criteria for autism tended to reflect the traits presented by men and boys. However, we now know that there are many non-binary people, girls, and women on the autistic spectrum.
The father-child relationship is one of the most important influences on a young person’s life. It’s usually one of the first and closest bonds a
TikTok has shot to fame as a viral video-sharing app where people post snappy content for teenagers to scroll through. Although it has received praise
In June, the UK government announced plans to ban social media use for under-16s. This decision followed a consultation process with parents, children and experts
Eating disorders are about more than food and body image. We now know that eating problems are complex mental health conditions underpinned by an interplay
Every generation develops its own language, and for parents trying to keep pace with life online, it can sometimes feel as though the vocabulary changes
