TORONTO - Marylandian -- In October, Canadian Autism Awareness Month, Comox, BC, resident Teresa Hedley will release her memoir, What's Not Allowed? A Family Journey with Autism.

Current COVID conditions have eroded many mainstays critical to those with autism—predictability, certainty, structure, routine, hard and fast rules. Hedley's memoir lyrically weaves past and present, demonstrating that environment shapes us, and that we often become what is projected upon us. For those with autism, a supportive environment is essential.

Hedley is an author, advocate, educator, curriculum designer and mother of a twenty-two-year-old son with autism, Erik. She explains that, for families living with autism, change in routine can have an amplified effect. There is an additional critical component: self-regulation. She purports that if you can't change your environment, you need to adapt.

To help Erik cope in these unpredictable times, Hedley created what she calls a COVID-19 Blueprint, a battle plan with three categories: Things I Know; Things I Might Be Feeling; Things I Can Do. Erik then has a dropdown menu of explanations and options.

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"This is his lifeline. Now he feels in control, and it is what Erik absolutely needs," Hedley says.

Those who have read Hedley's book appreciate her genuine and candid style. The story snapshots build awareness. "Awareness is like handing out catcher's mitts," Hedley explains. "It helps us to know what to do and how to receive and understand a person with autism."

Former anchor and chief correspondent of CBC's The National, Peter Mansbridge, states, "There are a lot of lessons on these pages for all of us, and we can benefit from considering them—and acting upon them."

Hedley has lived in many parts of Canada—and the world, allowing a unique perspective. Canadian Armed Forces Director of Military Family Service, Colonel Telah Morrison, calls Hedley's storytelling " . . . pure brilliance."

The Hon. Mike Lake, international autism advocate, writes, "Teresa is a gifted storyteller... overall a masterful blend of humour and authenticity."

Hedley summarizes, "I liken the book to a house staged for real estate: everyone should be able to feel at home in it and imagine themselves here. I have heard it said, 'stories sustain us,' and I believe this to be true."

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Canadian Parliamentarian and astronaut Marc Garneau expresses his gratitude and praise, "Thank you to the Hedley family for inviting us to see the world through the complex and intriguing lens of autism,"

What's Not Allowed? A Family Journey with Autism.

Wintertickle Press

ISBN 9781989664018

Retail Price: $25.95

Available from Indigo/Chapters/Coles, Amazon and select independent bookstores

Hedley is currently booking media interviews.