We know that the sad passing of Her Majesty The Queen will impact all of us differently. We want to offer some advice to autistic people and their families to help cope with the coming days and weeks.

Coping with bereavement

Everyone reacts differently to grief and we know that some autistic people will want to express their emotions in their own way.  You can read our guide to coping with bereavement along with some personal accounts from autistic people sharing their experiences.

Coping with other people’s emotions

You might find that other people are very upset about the passing of The Queen and will very openly express their emotions.  Some autistic people might find this difficult to cope with and may find it has an impact on their own emotions, even if they are not personally upset about the passing of The Queen. Equally, some autistic people might be very upset about the death of The Queen and might find that other people not being upset makes this worse.

We recommend:

• using your usual coping mechanisms or stims if you are finding other people’s emotions overwhelming
• taking time out in a quiet, neutral space to recover from this emotional exposure if you need it
• trying not to worry about other people’s reaction – remember that everyone will react differently and needs to deal with things in their own way
• taking part in the discussions amongst our Online Community  
• letting people know in advance if you find talking about the death of The Queen too difficult
• muting certain accounts, words or phrases on social media so you aren’t exposed to content you might find hard to cope with

               -   X 

               -   Instagram

               -   Facebook.

Prepare yourself for the changes that will happen, especially if your special interest is going to be impacted

Over the coming weeks and months there will be changes to some of the familiar parts of our country such as post boxes, stamps and currency.  We know that some autistic people will have special interests around these things and that changes to them might be upsetting.  While these changes can’t be prevented, you can start preparing yourself for them.  This newspaper article is a helpful explainer of what might change and when.

Crowds and unexpected sensory environments

There will be a number of public events taking place as part of the official mourning period.  Some of these events may involve crowds gathering in unexpected places or events that might have sensory aspects to them, such as gun salutes, music being played or loudspeaker announcements. If you are planning to attend these then you should plan ahead. You could wear ear defenders or other sensory supports.

You can download our I am autistic card or My child is autistic card to take with you as a support.

Changes to routines – school, work and social life

Changes to public events such as sporting fixtures, concerts and other leisure activities, as well as impacts on public transport, are likely.  If you are expecting to attend something in the next few weeks check with the venue that it is still going ahead.

We will also see changes to normal routines in schools, the workplace and other public places.  Prepare yourself for these changes by reading our advice about dealing with change.

How we can help

Our usual help and advice services are continuing to operate as normal.

Further information

Read here for more details on visiting the royal ceremonial and commemorative events.

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Co-ordinator Helen Ellis reflects on the past week’s events, the impact that the Queen’s death has had on her as an autistic person and shares some advice on coping.