Welcome to Charlotte Aldred's Web Site

Dr Charlotte Aldred, is a parent of a neurodivergent son, John, who was given a Statement of Special Educational Needs when he was seven. In the 1980s this did not equate to additional support in the classroom so Charlotte and her husband had to parent their child without any help or advice. The methods they used were so successful that John has developed into a happy, fulfilled and independent adult. He has never been out of work and loves what he does. He has achieved his potential.

Different or Disabled? A Positive Approach to Parenting a Child on the Autism Spectrum

When Charlotte retired she decided to write about John’s life so that other parents faced with the challenges of parenting a neurodivergent child could benefit from her experience. This book describes what Charlotte and her husband did to manage the many challenges they met when parenting their son, what in hindsight they could have done better and how things changed for John as he moved from childhood to adulthood.

Her son was closely involved throughout the writing process and his comments are a key feature of the book. 

‘I think that your endeavour to tell your story from the point of view of self-help is going to be inspirational. I completely agree with you that it is usually in vain when parents wait for experts to tell them what to do and they really do know better themselves – after all, they ARE the experts for their own child.’ Prof Uta Frith, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience & Dept. Psychology, University College London

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Autistic and Unemployed? The Complete Guide to Finding and Keeping a Job.

John wouldn’t have had such a successful career without the considerable help he received at home. Given that approximately 80% of the autistic population is unemployed, Charlotte wrote this book, based on her research and experience, to help autistic people find satisfying work. The book, which is available to pre-order now, will be published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers in  October 2026.

 

‘Dr Charlotte Aldred’s new book is incredibly welcome and timely… This book will be equally helpful to parents and guardians of autistic children, like myself, who find the experiences of other parents so valuable as we seek to give our child the best chance in life. We all know that autistic people have so many skills and talents to offer employers, and this book is an important tool in helping to unlock that potential.’ The Rt Hon Sir Robert Buckland KBE KC MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Autism and Learning Disability, leader of the autism employment review and father of an autistic adult.will

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