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https://neuroqueer.com/neurodiversity-terms-and-definitions/

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NEUROQUEER * THE WRITINGS OF DR. NICK WALKER

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Nick Walker, PhD
I wrote "Neurodiversity: Some Basic Terms & Definitions" back in 2014. So far, of all the pieces I've written, this is the one that's been most frequently cited in other people's work (academic and otherwise). The definitive, citable version of this essay, along with supplementary comments, can be found in my book When referencing my work, please remember that my pronouns are she/her. Neuroqueer Heresies
New paradigms often require a bit of new language, and this is certainly the case with the neurodiversity paradigm. I see many people - scholars, journalists, bloggers, internet commenters, and even people who identify as neurodiversity activists - get confused about the terminology around neurodiversity. Their misunderstanding and incorrect usage of certain terms often results in poor and clumsy communication of their message, and propagation of further confusion (including other confused people imitating their errors). At the very least, incorrect use of terminology can make a writer or speaker appear ignorant, or an unreliable source of information, in the eyes of those who do understand the meanings of the terms.

For those of us who seek to propagate and build upon the neurodiversity paradigm - especially those of us who are producing writing on neurodiversity - it's vital that we maintain some basic clarity and consistency of language, for the sake of effective communication among ourselves and with our broader audiences. Clarity of language supports clarity of understanding.

And, as I increasingly find myself in the position of reviewing other people's writing on neurodiversity - grading student papers, reviewing book submissions or submissions to journals, consulting on various projects, or even just deciding which pieces of writing I'm willing to recommend to people - I'm getting tired of running into the same basic errors over and over.

So, as a public service, I'm posting this list of a few key neurodiversity-related terms, their meanings and proper usage, and the ways in which I most commonly see them mis used.

NEURODIVERSITY

What It Means:

Neurodiversity is the diversity of human minds, the infinite variation in neurocognitive functioning within our species.

What It Doesn't Mean:

Neurodiversity is a biological fact. It's not a perspective, an approach, a belief, a political position, or a paradigm. That's the neurodiversity paradigm (see below), not neurodiversity itself.

Neurodiversity is not a political or social activist movement. That's the Neurodiversity Movement (see below), not neurodiversity itself.

Neurodiversity is not a trait that any individual possesses or can possess. When an individual or group of individuals diverges from the dominant societal standards of "normal" neurocognitive functioning, they don't "have neurodiversity," they're neurodivergent (see below).
"Our school offers multiple learning strategies to accommodate the neurodiversity of our student body."
Example of Correct Usage:

Examples of Incorrect Usage:

"Neurodiversity claims that..."
This writer is actually trying to talk about either the neurodiversity paradigm or the Neurodiversity Movement. Neurodiversity, as a biological characteristic of the species, can't "claim" anything, any more than variations in human skin pigmentation can "claim" something.

"Neurodiversity is a load of nonsense."
Really? So human brains and minds don't differ from one another? There's an awful lot of scientific evidence that shows quite plainly that there's considerable variation among human brains. And if we all thought alike, the world would be a very different place indeed. The person who wrote this sentence was probably trying to object to the neurodiversity paradigm and/or the positions of the Neurodiversity Movement, and has ended up sounding rather silly as a result of failing to distinguish between these things and the phenomenon of neurodiversity itself.

"My neurodiversity makes it hard for me to cope with school."
The correct word here would be neurodivergence, rather than neurodiversity. An individual, by definition, cannot be "diverse" or "have diversity."

"Autism and dyslexia are forms of neurodiversity."
Nope. Nope nope nope. There's no such thing as a "form of neurodiversity." Autism and dyslexia are forms of neurodivergence.

NEURODIVERSITY PARADIGM

What It Means:

The neurodiversity paradigm is a specific perspective on neurodiversity - a perspective or approach that boils down to these fundamental principles:

1.) Neurodiversity is a natural and valuable form of human diversity.

2.) The idea that there is one "normal" or "healthy" type of brain or mind, or one "right" style of neurocognitive functioning, is a culturally constructed fiction, no more valid (and no more conducive to a healthy society or to the overall well-being of humanity) than the idea that there is one "normal" or "right" ethnicity, gender, or culture.

3.) The social dynamics that manifest in regard to neurodiversity are similar to the social dynamics that manifest in regard to other forms of human diversity (e.g., diversity of ethnicity, gender, or culture). These dynamics include the dynamics of social power inequalities, and also the dynamics by which diversity, when embraced, acts as a source of creative potential.

What It Doesn't Mean:

The neurodiversity paradigm provides a philosophical foundation for the activism of the Neurodiversity Movement, but the two aren't the same. For instance, there are people working on developing inclusive education strategies based on the neurodiversity paradigm, who don't identify as social justice activists or as part of the Neurodiversity Movement.
"Those who have embraced the neurodiversity paradigm, and who truly understand it, do not use pathologizing terms like 'disorder' to describe neurocognitive variants like autism."
Example of Correct Usage:

NEURODIVERSITY MOVEMENT

What It Means:

The Neurodiversity Movement is a social justice movement that seeks civil rights, equality, respect, and full societal inclusion for the neurodivergent.

What It Doesn't Mean:

The Neurodiversity Movement is not a single group or organization, is not run by any single group or organization, and has no leader. Like most civil rights movements, the Neurodiversity Movement is made up of a great many individuals, some of them organized into groups of one sort or another. These individuals and groups are quite diverse in their viewpoints, goals, concerns, political positions, affiliations, methods of activism, and interpretations of the neurodiversity paradigm.

The Neurodiversity Movement began within the Autism Rights Movement, and there is still a great deal of overlap between the two movements. But the Neurodiversity Movement and the Autism Rights Movement are not one and the same. The most significant distinction between the two is that the Neurodiversity Movement seeks to be inclusive of all neurominorities, not just Autistics. Also, there some who advocate for the rights of Autistics but who cannot rightly be considered part of the Neurodiversity Movement because they still consider autism to be a medical pathology or "disorder," a view at odds with the neurodiversity paradigm.

NEURODIVERGENT and NEURODIVERGENCE

What It Means:

Neurodivergent, sometimes abbreviated as ND, means having a mind that functions in ways which diverge significantly from the dominant societal standards of "normal."

Neurodivergent is quite a broad term. Neurodivergence (the state of being neurodivergent) can be largely or entirely genetic and innate, or it can be largely or entirely produced by brain-altering experience, or some combination of the two. Autism and dyslexia are examples of innate forms of neurodivergence, while alterations in brain functioning caused by such things as trauma, long-term meditation practice, or heavy usage of psychedelic drugs are examples of forms of neurodivergence produced through experience.

A person whose neurocognitive functioning diverges from dominant societal norms in multiple ways - for instance, a person who is Autistic, dyslexic, and epileptic - can be described as multiply neurodivergent.

Some forms of innate or largely innate neurodivergence, like autism, are intrinsic and pervasive factors in an individual's psyche, personality, and fundamental way of relating to the world. The neurodiversity paradigm rejects the pathologizing of such forms of neurodivergence, and the Neurodiversity Movement opposes attempts to get rid of them.

Other forms of neurodivergence, like epilepsy or the effects of traumatic brain injuries, could be removed from an individual without erasing fundamental aspects of the individual's selfhood, and in many cases the individual would be happy to be rid of such forms of neurodivergence. The neurodiversity paradigm does not reject the pathologizing of these forms of neurodivergence, and the Neurodiversity Movement does not object to consensual attempts to cure them (but still most definitely objects to discrimination against people who have them).

Thus, neurodivergence is not intrinsically positive or negative, desirable or undesirable - it all depends on what sort of neurodivergence one is talking about.

The terms neurodivergent and neurodivergence were coined in the year 2000 by Kassiane Asasumasu, a multiply neurodivergent neurodiversity activist.

What It Doesn't Mean:

Neurodivergent is not a synonym for autistic. There are countless possible ways to be neurodivergent, and being autistic is only one of those ways. There are myriad ways of being neurodivergent that have no resemblance or connection to autism whatsoever. Never, ever use neurodivergent as a euphemism for autistic. If you mean that someone is autistic, say they're autistic. It's not a dirty word.
"Our school aims to be inclusive of students who are Autistic, dyslexic, or otherwise neurodivergent, though there are some types of neurodivergence that we're still seeking ways to accommodate." "This group is for people who identify as both queer and ND (neurodivergent)."
Examples of Correct Usage:

NEUROTYPICAL, or NT

What It Means:

Neurotypical, often abbreviated as NT, means having a style of neurocognitive functioning that falls within the dominant societal standards of "normal."

Neurotypical can be used as either an adjective ("He's neurotypical") or a noun ("He's a neurotypical").

Neurotypical is the opposite of neurodivergent. Neurotypicality is the way-of-being from which neurodivergent people diverge. Neurotypical bears the same sort of relationship to neurodivergent that straight bears to queer.

What It Doesn't Mean:

Neurotypical is not synonymous with non-autistic.

Neurotypical is the opposite of neurodivergent, not the opposite of autistic. Autism is only one of many forms of neurodivergence, so there are many, many people who are neither neurotypical nor autistic. Using neurotypical to mean non-autistic is like using "white" to mean "not black."

Also, neurotypical is not a derogatory word, and has no intrinsic negative connotation. Of course, sometimes people use the word in the context of criticizing the behavior of neurotypicals, but that doesn't make it an intrinsically negative word. A lot of people criticize the behavior of men, too, but that doesn't make "man" an intrinsically derogatory word.
"If the primary language of the society in which you were born is well-suited to the purpose of describing your sensory experiences, your needs, and your thought processes, you may have neurotypical privilege." "My sister is NT, but after growing up with an Autistic father and brother, she's quite at ease with other people's neurodivergence."
Examples of Correct Usage:

Example of Incorrect Usage:

"Is your daughter Autistic or neurotypical?"
This isn't a well-worded question because there are other possibilities. The daughter in question might be non-autistic, but might also not qualify as neurotypical - she might, for instance, be dyslexic or have Down Syndrome.

NEUROMINORITY

What It Means:

A neurominority is a population of neurodivergent people about whom all of the following are true:

1.) They all share a similar form of neurodivergence.

2.) The form of neurodivergence they share is one of those forms that is largely innate and that is inseparable from who they are, constituting an intrinsic and pervasive factor in their psyches, personalities, and fundamental ways of relating to the world.

3.) The form of neurodivergence they share is one to which the neurotypical majority tends to respond with some degree of prejudice, misunderstanding, discrimination, and/or oppression (generally facilitated by classifying that form of neurodivergence as a medical pathology).

Examples of neurominority groups include Autistic people, dyslexic people, and people with Down Syndrome.

It's also possible to be neurodivergent without being a member of a neurominority group. Examples include people with acquired traumatic brain injuries, and people who have altered their own neurocognitive functioning through extensive use of psychedelic drugs.

The word neurominority can function as either a noun (as in, "Autistics are a neurominority") or an adjective (as in, "Autistics are a neurominority group").

NEURODIVERSE

What It Means:

A group of people is neurodiverse if one or more members of the group differ substantially from other members, in terms of their neurocognitive functioning.

Or, to phrase it another way, a neurodiverse group is a group in which multiple neurocognitive styles are represented.

Thus, a family, the faculty or student body of a school, the population of a town, or the cast of characters of a TV show would be neurodiverse if some members had different neurocognitive styles from other members - for instance, if some members were neurotypical while others were Autistic.

What It Doesn't Mean:

Many people mistakenly use neurodiverse where the correct word would be neurodivergent.

Of all the errors that people make in writing and speaking about neurodiversity, the misuse of neurodiverse to mean neurodivergent is by far the most common.

There is no such thing as a "neurodiverse individual." The correct term is " neurodivergent individual." An individual can diverge, but an individual cannot be diverse.

Neurodiverse does not mean "non-neurotypical." The opposite of neurotypical is neurodivergent, not neurodiverse. Neurodiverse cannot be used to mean "non-neurotypical," because neurotypical people, like all other human beings, are part of the spectrum of human neurodiversity. The opposite of neurodiverse would be neurohomogenous (meaning "composed of people who are all neurocognitively similar to one another").

To refer to neurominority groups or neurodivergent individuals as "neurodiverse" is incorrect grammatically, because diverse doesn't mean different from the majority, it means made up of multiple different types. So an individual can never be diverse, by definition. And a group where everyone is neurodivergent in more or less the same way (e.g., a group composed entirely of Autistic people) wouldn't be "neurodiverse," either.

The only appropriate and grammatically correct use of the term neurodiverse is when it's used to describe a group of people whose members differ neurocognitively from each other. In other words, a classroom where everyone is Autistic is not neurodiverse, but a classroom where some students are neurotypical and some aren't is neurodiverse.

Humanity is neurodiverse, just as humanity is racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse. By definition, no human being falls outside of the spectrum of human neurodiversity, just as no human being falls outside of the spectrum of human racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity.

In addition to being incorrect, it's also oppressive to misuse the word "diverse" to mean "minority," because this misuse of "diverse" is based in the intrinsically oppressive assumption that there's a default "normal" way of being and that "diversity" is about adding non-normative individuals into the "normal" default environment. This is the assumption that allows tokenization to pass for "diversity" in corporations, schools, and other social institutions.

We can see this same oppressive misuse of the word "diverse" in the discourse of racists who use the term "diverse" as a euphemism for "non-white." This usage seeks to twist the definition of the word "diverse" to mean "not part of the privileged in-group." Again, that's not what the word means, and misusing it in that particular way serves to reinforce a racist mindset in which white people are seen as intrinsically separate from the rest of humanity, rather than as just another part of the spectrum of human ethnic diversity.

It is the same with the misuse of the term neurodiverse to mean "non-neurotypical." To describe an Autistic, dyslexic, or otherwise neurodivergent person as a "neurodiverse individual" is not merely an incorrect usage of the word "diverse"--it also serves to reinforce an ableist mindset in which neurotypical people are seen as intrinsically separate from the rest of humanity, rather than as just another part of the spectrum of human neurodiversity.

In summary, then: misusing the term neurodiverse to mean neurodivergent (i.e., non-neurotypical) is not only plain old bad grammar, it also subtly reinforces ableism and undercuts the fundamental tenets of the neurodiversity paradigm. I hope this explanation will help people to avoid this particular error in the future--and, when possible, to correct such misuse where they encounter it.
"We humans are a neurodiverse species." "We employ a wide variety of creative teaching strategies to accommodate the many different learning styles represented in our highly neurodiverse student body." "My neurodiverse family includes three neurotypicals, two Autistics, and one person who's both ADHD and dyslexic." "I think every single member of their board of directors is neurotypical. An organization that supposedly serves the needs of neurominority children should have a more neurodiverse board."
Examples of Correct Usage:

Examples of Incorrect Usage:

"This group welcomes Autistics and other neurodiverse people."
It's nice to be welcomed, but there's no such thing as a "neurodiverse person." the correct phrase here would be "Autistics and other neurodivergent people."

"This group is open to both neurotypicals and the neurodiverse."
No, no, no. "The neurodiverse?" Seriously? What does that even mean? The spectrum of neurodiversity encompasses the entire human species, so one can't label any subset of the human species as "the neurodiverse." And neurotypicals are part of the spectrum of human neurodiversity, so it makes no sense to say "neurotypicals and the neurodiverse," as if those were two separate things. The correct way to say this would be, "This group is open to both neurotypicals and the neurodivergent."

I hope this list of definitions will help to foster greater clarity and understanding, and more accurate writing, when it comes to the terminology around neurodiversity. I encourage readers to share, cite, or quote from this piece, anywhere it might be useful. If you're writing up submission guidelines for neurodiversity-related writings, for a journal, anthology, conference, or other project, feel free to include a link to this post in your guidelines. If you encounter a journalist who's doing a piece on a neurodiversity-related topic, or a group of college students who are writing about neurodiversity, please share this piece with them. And please feel free to use this piece as a resource in any situation in which there's confusion about what any of these terms mean.

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NEURODIVERSITY: SOME BASIC TERMS & DEFINITIONS * NEUROQUEER

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Nick Walker, PhD I wrote "Neurodiversity: Some Basic Terms & Definitions" back in 2014. So far, of all the pieces I've written, this is the one that's been most frequently cited in other people's work (academic and otherwise).

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https://www.tiktok.com/@dreadfulrebel4x?lang=hu-HU

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Avery (@dreadfulrebel4x) TikTok | Nézd meg Avery legújabb TikTok videóit

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Avery (@dreadfulrebel4x) a TikTokon | 943.9K lájk. 60.1K rajongó. Mental Health Advocate AUTISM AWARENESS

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We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation | HMH Books

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“This book is a message from autistic people to their parents, friends, teachers, coworkers and doctors showing what life is like on the spectrum. It’s also my love letter to autistic people. For too long, we have been forced to navigate a world where all the road signs are written in another langua…

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https://www.tiktok.com/@jay_will_float_too?lang=en

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jay_will_float_too (@jay_will_float_too) on TikTok | 17M Likes. 1.3M Fans. ●Jay♧21◇Aus♤Asexual♡She/They● Clinically Diagnosed Autism+ADHD ꧁𓆣𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓆣꧂

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people living under a double-rainbow... Twainbow was formed to provide a clearinghouse of information regarding LGBT-ASD social support, the latest news , and research. Twainbow is a portmanteau of "twain" (meaning 'two') and "rainbow". Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who are also lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender live with two rainbows in their lives: [...]

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Ed Wiley Autism Acceptance Lending Library

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The Ed Wiley Autism Acceptance Lending Library offers books, resources and information on autism from a neurodiversity and disability rights & justice perspective to the communities of Stanwood and Camano Island, WA. The mission of the Ed Wiley Autism Acceptance Library is to promote understanding, acceptance and inclusion for Autistic people.

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilywillingham/2013/11/13/why-autism-speaks-doesnt-speak-for-me/?sh=7e63a9e33152

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Autism Speaks, founded in 2005 by Bob and Suzanne Wright, sometimes seems to have taken over the entire conversation about autism in this country, what with their blue puzzle pieces littered all over the landscape, coming to symbolize, wrongly, autism itself. Yet in spite of their ostensible role as a voice for autism, they've got a poor track record of showing respect for autistic people. One example is their intensely offensive " I am autism" video from 2009, promising a threatening, ominous autism that "knows where you live" and "works faster than pediatric AIDS, cancer, and diabetes combined." Oh, and guaranteeing also that autism will make your marriage fail. It doesn't.

But that little fact and any number of others didn't get in the way of Suzanne Wright when she settled in to pen her organization's recent " call to action" on autism, this time switching pronouns to assert repeatedly in boldface, "This is autism." She claims that the country has failed autism families, "let them split up." According to Ms. Wright, families who have autistic children are "not living." Except that, almost in the same breath, evidently we are living

... moment-to-moment. In anticipation of the child's next move. In despair. In fear of the future.

She compares the "3 million children" in the United States with autism--of whom one is presumably my son--to a crisis on the level of 3 million children suddenly going missing or 3 million children waking up all on the same day, gravely ill. We would, she says, call out all of the military to resolve this problem, it is so dire, so why do we not do that for autism? It's not the first time someone has compared autism to having a child stolen from them or to a dire disease. From what I hear from people who have, in fact, actually lost a child to a disease, there is no comparison.

Autism "moms" (no dads?), she avers, live like this:

On bad days, they are depleted. Mentally. Physically. And especially emotionally.

Maybe they have been up all night caring for their teenage child who's having a seizure.

Maybe they are up yet again changing the sheets because there's been another bed wetting accident.

Maybe their child has been trying to bite them or themselves.

Maybe they can't afford the trip to a doctor specializing in autism.

Maybe there is a waiting-list for ABA, speech and OT.

Maybe their insurance won't pay.

Maybe they don't have the money to pay a special lawyer to fight for school services.

As a family, we have experienced almost everything on this list, some with our autistic son and some with other sons, and some with all three. Wright says, "This is autism," but with our three children, it's just been "parenting."

Parenting can be tough and can leave you tired, mentally, physically, and emotionally. It's true. But I can't begin to say how offensive it is that someone would distort our lives with our wonderful children as not even living, as nothing but "despair" just to buy attention from people who don't know any more about autism or autistic people beyond that blue puzzle piece. Or that this cherry-picked representation of parental hardship, with no mention of the needs of autistic children, is used to paint a sort of forthcoming reign of terror over our nation if we don't do something about it. This kind of vilification of autism serves primarily to dehumanize autistic people and leave them as the frightening "other" of Autism Speaks' infamous video.

Do families with autistic children need a smoother road to services and resources? Of course. Families with children with any complex condition need that, and so do autistic adults. Do we need better supports in school, better infrastructure for our children as they grow? Yes. Of course. Do we have to diminish and demean and dehumanize our children to get people to listen to us when we talk about these needs? I emphatically think not, and many autistic people and parents of autistic children agree, based on the reaction in the comments on Wright's post [ and elsewhere, including from longtime supporters].

It's odd that Wright would argue so strongly for supports given that, according to the Autistic Self Advocacy Network [their statement on Autism Speaks is here], her own organization in 2010 devoted only 4% of its budget to "Family service" grants. And Autism Speaks' track record on inclusion of the very people it claims to represent was limited, at best, and now has returned to nonexistent.

The organization at one point tried to make what was clearly a token effort to be inclusive of the autistic people Suzanne Wright offends in her latest disjointed salvo: They got autistic writer John Elder Robison (Look Me In The Eye) to join the organization as a member of its boards on science and treatment. He soldiered on through what he references as public relations gaffes, but even Robison--a gentle, funny, kind, and optimistic man--has had enough with this organization. He has resigned from his association with Autism Speaks because of Wright's screed, writing in a letter to them that

Autism Speaks says it's the advocacy group for people with autism and their families. It's not, despite having had many chances to become that voice. Autism Speaks is the only major medical or mental health nonprofit whose legitimacy is constantly challenged by a large percentage of the people affected by the condition they target.

Autism Speaks still has a base of support among families of young children, but it has very little support from parents of older kids, or autistic adults. And the fact is, that is the majority of the autistic population. I've made that point in the past; apparently to no avail. I've suggested things the organization could do to garner support from those groups, but those suggestions have been ignored.

How will people with autism assume a leadership role in guiding the development of tools and therapies to help our community?

We have a number of good organizations fighting for rights, but none had anywhere close to the resources of Autism Speaks, especially in science.

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Autism Speaks, founded in 2005 by Bob and Suzanne Wright, sometimes seems to have taken over the entire conversation about autism in this country, what with their blue puzzle pieces littered all over the landscape, coming to symbolize, wrongly, autism itself.

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A Round Up of Posts Against Autism Speaks

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A Round Up of Posts Against Autism Speaks

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https://medium.com/@KirstenSchultz/a-roundup-of-posts-against-autism-speaks-5dbf7f8cfcc6

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A Roundup of Posts Against Autism Speaks

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Note: This post was originally pulled together in March 2017. As such, you may need to utilize the Wayback Machine to access some posts. If the trial and error of it is frustrating, they have a...

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https://autismacceptance.com/read-the-book/

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Welcome to the Autistic Community has 9 chapters. You can read each chapter by clicking on the links below. Or, you can use the drop-down menu to choose a chapter. If you don't know much about autism, reading the chapters in order is a good way to start. Or, you can choose the chapters that you want to learn more about.

Each chapter is split into sections. You can choose the section you want to read by clicking on the section on your left. At the bottom of the list of sections is a page called " Words to Know ". We will teach you some new words in each chapter, so you can look there if you want to know what each word means.

We wrote the book in 2 formats: Plain Language and Extra Space.
In Plain Language, the sentences are longer, and arranged into paragraphs.
In Extra Space, there is more space between each sentence. The sentences are shorter. Some of the words are shorter, too.
Both formats have all of the same information.
You can toggle between each format using the dropdown at the top.

Here is a list of the chapters in Welcome to the Autistic Community:

Chapter Two: All About Autism
Chapter Two tells you more about what autism means.
It talks about things autistic people experience, and what we need.

Chapter Three: Who Can be Autistic?
Chapter Three talks about who can be autistic.
Autistic people can have other disabilities besides autism, so this chapter also talks about those disabilities.

Chapter Four: Autism Facts
Chapter Four answers some questions about autism.
It tells you the facts about autism, along with some wrong ideas people have about autism.

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Welcome to the Autistic Community has 9 chapters. You can read each chapter by clicking on the links below. Or, you can use the drop-down menu to choose a chapter. If you don't know much about autism, reading the chapters in order is a good way to start.

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5 Shocking Reasons Not to Light It Up Blue for Autism Day

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5 Shocking Reasons Not to Light It Up Blue for Autism Day

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https://autisticmama.com/do-not-light-it-up-blue/

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(Inside: Please do not light it up blue for my son for Autism Awareness day. There are so many ways to help autistic people, but that is not one of them!)

We are getting close to Autism Awareness Month, and I should be ecstatic.

I am supposed to be sooooo excited that for one month the whole world turns its sights towards inspirational stories of inclusion and feels good about themselves because they "light it up blue" for awareness on April 2nd each year.

But can I just say, please don't.

As the mother of an autistic son, and an autistic person myself, I cannot express to you enough how frustrating it is when I see everything blue on April 2nd each year.

Honestly, I do my best to stay off of social media that day, and my poor husband hears me rant at least 3 times throughout the day.

Listen, I get it. It feels nice to do things that we can consider activism without really thinking about the impact, or lack of impact, that it may have.

So before you change your profile image this April, check out these 5 shocking reasons NOT to light it up blue for Autism Day.

5 Shocking Reasons NOT to Light it Up Blue for Autism Day

If we haven't met yet, hey friend, I'm Kaylene!

I'm an Autistic mom of six neurodivergent kids and a parent coach that helps parent-advocates parent their Autistic child with more ease.

And since it's Autism Acceptance Month, I'm hosting a brand new event, and I want to invite you!

Here's what I'm talking about: Embracing Autism Live!

It's a one-day virtual event designed to help you create your custom plan to parent your Autistic child with ease. And you can get your Early Bird ticket for just $19!
Click here for all the details!
And now let's dive into the 5 reasons NOT to Light It Up Blue this year!

#1 "Light it Up Blue" is from Autism Speaks

I know, I know. I can't talk about autism speaks without getting a bit rant-y.

I've written a whole post about it here, but the long story short is this. They're a horrible, disgusting organization.

Their main goal is to "end autism" and almost none of their massive budget goes towards actually helping autistic people and their families.

A huge portion of their budget goes towards research for a "cure" or a pre-natal test for autism so that women could choose to not have their autistic babies.

They also spend an insane amount of money on their marketing, including some terrible marketing materials that paint autism as some evil monster that wants to come steal your children.

It's absolutely horrible. Just don't support them. Just don't.
(An alternative organization, if you'd like to donate is the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.)
#2 Social Media Activism Without Understanding Doesn't Help Anyone

Here's the thing. I'm sure Facebook will make some nifty app that lets you change your profile picture blue, and I'm sure #lightitupblue will be trending on twitter.

Guess what? Being a social media activist who doesn't understand the cause truly doesn't help anyone.

It certainly doesn't help autistic people or their families.

Instead of posting a status or using that hashtag, why not donate to an autism organization?

Why not actually support a local family who has an autistic child?

Posting on social media about "awareness" does absolutely nothing to help anyone. Sorry to break it to you.
(Editing to clarify, social media can be an effective part of activism. I am referring to people who do nothing for a cause and don't care about a cause until it's the popular thing to do on Facebook.)
#3 Light It Up Blue is Based on Harmful Stereotypes

Did you ever wonder why blue is the color of choice for the autism awareness day?

You may have heard that autism is much more likely in boys than girls.

This is actually a widely debated statistic that's come about because the diagnostic criteria used to diagnose autism is written towards boys typical behavior.

Autistic girls often go without diagnosis and when they are diagnosed people tend to ignore their differences and needs.

I learned that I'm autistic as an adult, and only because we got the diagnosis for my son who has more "classic" autism signs.

The fact is that girls can be autistic, it isn't just a "boys disorder". It isn't something to be cloaked in blue and stereotyped.

#4 Everyone is Aware of Autism

I get it. Posting on social media helps to spread "awareness".

But I would be willing to bet that 99.99% of people on your social media lists are aware of autism.

In the 80s? It wasn't so well known. But nowadays not only does nearly everyone know what autism is, they're typically connected to someone with autism in some way shape or form.

We don't need more awareness, we need more understanding.
We need to hear and learn more from disabled advocates.
We need to fight for more accessibility and fight against discrimination.

We're all aware of autism, but it's time to truly accept it.

#5 What Do You Do All Year?

Did you know that autistic people are here all year long?

Our struggles and our triumphs don't begin and end in the month of April.

How are you being more aware and accepting of autistic people and their families all year?

Does your church have a special needs ministry? Have you ever even thought to check if your church has a special needs ministry?

What types of adaptive programs are available for children with disabilities in your area?

How many disabled adults are employed where you work?

Is there a kid in your child's class that doesn't get invited for playdates? How can you reach out and help them connect?

These are the things that we need to be more aware of, and we need to do things to fix them.
Don't light it up blue, do something. Make a difference.
I'm honestly sorry if this post ruffles some feathers. Like I've said, I'm not a popular autism mama.

I don't support autism speaks. I support my son.

I will fight for him to be accepted. I will fight for him to have opportunities. I will fight for him.
I will not light it up blue.
If you REALLY want to help spread true acceptance and understanding, grab your FREE autism signs cheat sheet and share it with everyone you know. Help your friends, family, teachers, and more learn true signs that a child may be autistic.

If you loved this post, you might also enjoy...

About Kaylene
Kaylene George is an autistic self-advocate, author, and mother of five, including one autistic child. She realized her own autism as an adult shortly after her son received his initial diagnosis. Suddenly the parts of her that seemed so "weird" to society had an answer. Since then, Kaylene has passionately shared about her experiences with autism from both sides of the great divide between parents and autistic self-advocates on AutisticMama.com.

(Inside: Please do not light it up blue for my son for Autism Awareness day. There are so many ways to help autistic people, but that is not one of them!)

We are getting close to Autism Awareness Month, and I should be ecstatic.

I am supposed to be sooooo excited that for one month the whole world turns its sights towards inspirational stories of inclusion and feels good about themselves because they "light it up blue" for awareness on April 2nd each year.

But can I just say, please don't.

As the mother of an autistic son, and an autistic person myself, I cannot express to you enough how frustrating it is when I see everything blue on April 2nd each year.

Honestly, I do my best to stay off of social media that day, and my poor husband hears me rant at least 3 times throughout the day.

Listen, I get it. It feels nice to do things that we can consider activism without really thinking about the impact, or lack of impact, that it may have.

So before you change your profile image this April, check out these 5 shocking reasons NOT to light it up blue for Autism Day.

5 Shocking Reasons NOT to Light it Up Blue for Autism Day

If we haven't met yet, hey friend, I'm Kaylene!

I'm an Autistic mom of six neurodivergent kids and a parent coach that helps parent-advocates parent their Autistic child with more ease.

And since it's Autism Acceptance Month, I'm hosting a brand new event, and I want to invite you!

Here's what I'm talking about: Embracing Autism Live!

It's a one-day virtual event designed to help you create your custom plan to parent your Autistic child with ease. And you can get your Early Bird ticket for just $19!
Click here for all the details!
And now let's dive into the 5 reasons NOT to Light It Up Blue this year!

#1 "Light it Up Blue" is from Autism Speaks

I know, I know. I can't talk about autism speaks without getting a bit rant-y.

I've written a whole post about it here, but the long story short is this. They're a horrible, disgusting organization.

Their main goal is to "end autism" and almost none of their massive budget goes towards actually helping autistic people and their families.

A huge portion of their budget goes towards research for a "cure" or a pre-natal test for autism so that women could choose to not have their autistic babies.

They also spend an insane amount of money on their marketing, including some terrible marketing materials that paint autism as some evil monster that wants to come steal your children.

It's absolutely horrible. Just don't support them. Just don't.
(An alternative organization, if you'd like to donate is the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.)
#2 Social Media Activism Without Understanding Doesn't Help Anyone

Here's the thing. I'm sure Facebook will make some nifty app that lets you change your profile picture blue, and I'm sure #lightitupblue will be trending on twitter.

Guess what? Being a social media activist who doesn't understand the cause truly doesn't help anyone.

It certainly doesn't help autistic people or their families.

Instead of posting a status or using that hashtag, why not donate to an autism organization?

Why not actually support a local family who has an autistic child?

Posting on social media about "awareness" does absolutely nothing to help anyone. Sorry to break it to you.
(Editing to clarify, social media can be an effective part of activism. I am referring to people who do nothing for a cause and don't care about a cause until it's the popular thing to do on Facebook.)
#3 Light It Up Blue is Based on Harmful Stereotypes

Did you ever wonder why blue is the color of choice for the autism awareness day?

You may have heard that autism is much more likely in boys than girls.

This is actually a widely debated statistic that's come about because the diagnostic criteria used to diagnose autism is written towards boys typical behavior.

Autistic girls often go without diagnosis and when they are diagnosed people tend to ignore their differences and needs.

I learned that I'm autistic as an adult, and only because we got the diagnosis for my son who has more "classic" autism signs.

The fact is that girls can be autistic, it isn't just a "boys disorder". It isn't something to be cloaked in blue and stereotyped.

#4 Everyone is Aware of Autism

I get it. Posting on social media helps to spread "awareness".

But I would be willing to bet that 99.99% of people on your social media lists are aware of autism.

In the 80s? It wasn't so well known. But nowadays not only does nearly everyone know what autism is, they're typically connected to someone with autism in some way shape or form.

We don't need more awareness, we need more understanding.
We need to hear and learn more from disabled advocates.
We need to fight for more accessibility and fight against discrimination.

We're all aware of autism, but it's time to truly accept it.

#5 What Do You Do All Year?

Did you know that autistic people are here all year long?

Our struggles and our triumphs don't begin and end in the month of April.

How are you being more aware and accepting of autistic people and their families all year?

Does your church have a special needs ministry? Have you ever even thought to check if your church has a special needs ministry?

What types of adaptive programs are available for children with disabilities in your area?

How many disabled adults are employed where you work?

Is there a kid in your child's class that doesn't get invited for playdates? How can you reach out and help them connect?

These are the things that we need to be more aware of, and we need to do things to fix them.
Don't light it up blue, do something. Make a difference.
I'm honestly sorry if this post ruffles some feathers. Like I've said, I'm not a popular autism mama.

I don't support autism speaks. I support my son.

I will fight for him to be accepted. I will fight for him to have opportunities. I will fight for him.
I will not light it up blue.
If you REALLY want to help spread true acceptance and understanding, grab your FREE autism signs cheat sheet and share it with everyone you know. Help your friends, family, teachers, and more learn true signs that a child may be autistic.

If you loved this post, you might also enjoy...

About Kaylene
Kaylene George is an autistic self-advocate, author, and mother of five, including one autistic child. She realized her own autism as an adult shortly after her son received his initial diagnosis. Suddenly the parts of her that seemed so "weird" to society had an answer. Since then, Kaylene has passionately shared about her experiences with autism from both sides of the great divide between parents and autistic self-advocates on AutisticMama.com.

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5 Shocking Reasons NOT to Light it Up Blue for Autism Day

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(Inside: Please do not light it up blue for my son for Autism Awareness day. There are so many ways to help autistic people, but that is not one of them!) We are getting close to Autism Awareness Month, and I should be ecstatic.

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https://ndpathways.org/

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We are a social impact organization of professionals from a diverse set of educational and experience backgrounds in coaching, communications, higher education, and high technology. We are bound by our common passion to make a difference in the lives of neurodivergent individuals so that their talents and expertise can make an impact in the world through their work.

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Neurodiversity Pathways - Inclusion for Abilities - Acceptance for Differences

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We are a social impact organization of professionals from a diverse set of educational and experience backgrounds in coaching, communications, higher education, and high technology. We are bound by our common passion to make a difference in the lives of neurodivergent individuals so that their talents and expertise can make an impact in the world through their work.

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http://www.spectroomz.com

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Spectroomz - work from home jobs for autistic adults

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Spectroomz Helps Autistic Adults To Get Work From Home Jobs

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Spectroomz helps autistic adults get qualified and find remote jobs. Access our courses, get our advice and join a community to find your next job

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Ingredients for slowing down to the relational speed of life and cooking up de-powered social operating models. Many Autists realise that the best we can ever hope for in this hypernormative civilisation is acceptance of our existence in bare survival mode, performing the function of a mindless busy cog and consumer in the sensory hell of the industrial machine.

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Content about autism by autistic and neurodivergent people. A resource for autistic adults, parents of autistic children, educators, and physicians.

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Did you know Different Brains has a vast resource section, where you can find information on many Neurodiversity topics, including: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Asperger's Syndrome, Anxiety, Concussions, Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and many others?

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Supporting Neurodiversity From Autism to Alzheimer's and All Brains In Between! Different Brains ® is a 501C3 nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the understanding and acceptance of the basic variations in the human brain known as neurodiversity; ending the stigma attached to the relat ...

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Topics YOU requested:

The idea that trauma and autism are so hard to distinguish because society doesn't make untraumatised Autistics.

The problems with how Autistic people are diagnosed/the limitations of the medical model.

What healthy boundaries are and how to keep them kindly.

Late diagnosis and moving forward after discovering you are Autistic late in life.

Overcoming internalized ableism and loving your Autistic self.

Advocating for your needs as an Autistic Person.
Continue reading Autism & Neurodiversity Chat - Are All Autistic People Traumatized? - Problems with the Medical Model

Since COVID started there has been change after change. As an autistic person, I struggle sometimes with change - even the good changes can be difficult.

As I've been forced to deal with a lot of change these days, change has gotten a bit easier for me... and some BIG changes are coming. Continue reading BIG NEWS & THANK YOU FOR 4 YEARS!!!!

Hey everyone, NeuroRebel here. And this week, we're going to talk about sensory overload. And can I just be honest before we dive in here? Sensory overload sucks.

#ActuallyAutistic #AskingAutistics - what is sensory overload like for you? Continue reading Autistic Sensory Overload

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Topics YOU requested: The idea that trauma and autism are so hard to distinguish because society doesn't make untraumatised Autistics. The problems with how Autistic people are diagnosed/the limitations of the medical model. What healthy boundaries are and how to keep them kindly. Late diagnosis and moving forward after discovering you are Autistic late in life.

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https://blackgirllostkeys.com/

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https://autisticnotweird.com/

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Autistic Not Weird - Insights from an Autistic Teacher and Speaker

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Articles, insight and advice from Chris Bonnello, writer and international speaker on autism issues and former primary school teacher.

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NEUROQUEER * THE WRITINGS OF DR. NICK WALKER

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I'm an author, educator, queer futurist, and transpersonal somatic psychologist best known for my work on Neuroqueer Theory and my book Neuroqueer Heresies.

I also write speculative fiction, including the urban fantasy webcomic .

I'm a professor of psychology at California Institute of Integral Studies, senior aikido instructor at the Aiki Arts Center in Berkeley, California, and Managing Editor of the worker-owned publishing house Autonomous Press.

I'm available for speaking gigs and workshops, but my schedule tends to fill up quickly.

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NEUROQUEER * THE WRITINGS OF DR. NICK WALKER

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NEUROQUEER * THE WRITINGS OF DR. NICK WALKER

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https://autisticandunapologetic.com/

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Autistic & Unapologetic is an autism site that helps autistic people and our families to understand and embrace autism through fun and fascinating articles.

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https://www.autastic.com/

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Autastic.com * Life after learning you're autistic

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Learn, grow, and find community for a more authentic, autistic you.

Connect with other late-identified autistic adults, wherever you are on your journey. With reserved spaces for BIPoC, trans, and senior members.

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Learn, grow, and find community for a more authentic, autistic you. Connect with other late-identified autistic adults, wherever you are on your journey. With reserved spaces for BIPoC, trans, and senior members.

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Mildly Different is an exciting new film project which aims to shed light on what autism in women looks and feels like from an autistic perspective. Maura Campbell met up with Anna Czarska, Managing Director of Sticky Tape Productions, to find out more. How did the idea for the film come about and what are you hoping to achieve through this project? The film was inspired by my own experiences. I went through most of [...]

In my experience working with autism and trauma, I've noticed a large number of autistic people who report physical pain that's there "for no reason." They haven't over-exercised, moved furniture, or otherwise knowingly taxed the physical body. So, know this: physical pain can also result from strong emotional stress. It's a real thing. Taking a few minutes to consider the miracle that is the body, physical pain resulting from over-taxing the brain makes sense; high [...]

How often do we hear ourselves saying "I just need to finish this job and then I can take a break", or "If I can get this project finished, I can then take a couple of days off"? When we tell ourselves this over and over again, without taking action to 'look after ourselves', the cracks inevitably will begin to appear. The internal motivation of "I'll get this job done, then I can...", becomes the ultimate words of dread, with the "then I can..." [...]

"You're very brave." I get that a lot. In fact, I've been hearing it constantly ever since I 'came out' as autistic. It's usually said kindly (I think) and so I try to take it in the spirit intended. But every time someone says to me "You're very brave" it gets me thinking: why is it 'brave' to be open about being autistic? I think there might be a few reasons for that. They might see it as 'brave' for me to apply a word to myself that's generally represented as something very different in popular culture - usually a [...]

A monthly Q&A with Spectrum Women Magazine's hosted by Feature Writer/ Assistant Editor, Becca Lory Hector CAS, BCCS If you have a question you would like answered, please email Becca directly at info@beccalory.com

Feature photo: Becca Lory with her mom ©Becca Lory 2018 A Spectrum Women collaboration, edited by Maura Campbell In honour of International Women's Day, the Spectrum Women writers have compiled a list of things we think it's particularly important for parents or carers of girls on the autism spectrum to know. 1. Recognise how autism presents differently in girls In adult studies, the 4:1 male/female ratio in autism diagnosis disappears. This means autistic girls are not rare. Persist when they say so. Look for intensity and insistence on sameness. Many of our behaviours are quite typical but we won't choose to [...]

The body is a wonderful thing, complete with a glorious system of nerves for experiencing our resplendent world. Most individuals seamlessly navigate their sensory environment. But for myself and other autistics, simple tasks lay at the mercy of sensation. I am forty-one years old trying to make each day of my life matter. I have [...]

People make autism out to be scary and pitiable. But there are lots of things I LIKE about being autistic. Focus: Focusing on an activity is incredibly energizing. You could say I have a one-track mind. I am good at certain kinds of things because it's easy to totally commit myself to some drive and I am pretty much single minded. Thoughts are like drugs to me. A few times in my life people have commented, "You think too much," like my focus was weird, but I love the non-stop inner deliberations. My mind is not a bad place to [...]

I have always loved to create since I was quite young. I dreamt of being a writer and loved immersing myself in fantasy plot-lines, tapping furiously on my old school typewriter, or drawing abstract images on my art pad as a teen. In my early twenties once I became a mother I did not have much time to be creative while raising our 4 children, and slowly all my creative outlets slipped neglected to the wayside. However, over the past year, rediscovering art has been a saviour to me. On and off over my life I have experienced anxiety, however [...]

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Mildly Different is an exciting new film project which aims to shed light on what autism in women looks and feels like from an autistic perspective. Maura Campbell met up with Anna Czarska, Managing Director of Sticky Tape Productions, to find out more.

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Neurodivergent Mental Health Archives - My Soul Balm

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Confession: I struggle a lot with ADHD and Executive Function. It's a part of neurodivergency that really negatively affects my mental health. Now don't get me wrong. I am proudly neurodivergent and wouldn't change it for the world. But there are some parts of it that present a serious challenge.

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Autism news and resources: from autistic people, professionals, and parents

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ASAN November Newsletter Dear friend, As we've begun wrapping up the year, we're still hard at work here at ASAN! We've celebrated self-advocacy and looked back at the work we've done this year, and we've continued to work on the issues to come! Earlier this month, we celebrated ASAN's birthday at our 2023 ASAN Gala,...

Read More "

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is a national grassroots disability rights organization run by and for Autistic Americans, advocating for systems change and ensuring that the voices of Autistic people are heard in policy debates and the halls of power. Our staff work to educate communities and improve public perceptions of autism. As a 501(c)(3)...

Read More "

ASAN October Newsletter Dear friend, It's the most boo-tiful time of year, but we're still fighting some of the scariest things our community deals with, like discriminatory health care systems, subminimum wage, and lack of supports. Here's what we've been working on this month. In September, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)...

Read More "

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Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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https://books.google.com/books/about/Women_and_Girls_with_Autism_Spectrum_Dis.html?id=u1_MrQEACAAJ

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The difference that being female makes to the diagnosis, life and experiences of a person with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has largely gone unresearched and unreported until recently. In this book Sarah Hendrickx has collected both academic research and personal stories about girls and women on the autism spectrum to present a picture of their feelings, thoughts and experiences at each stage of their lives.

Outlining how autism presents differently and can hide itself in females and what the likely impact will be for them throughout their lifespan, the book looks at how females with ASD experience diagnosis, childhood, education, adolescence, friendships, sexuality, employment, pregnancy and parenting, and aging. It will provide invaluable guidance for the professionals who support these girls and women and it will offer women with autism a guiding light in interpreting and understanding their own life experiences through the experiences of others.

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Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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The difference that being female makes to the diagnosis, life and experiences of a person with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has largely gone unresearched and unreported until recently. In this book Sarah Hendrickx has collected both academic research and personal stories about girls and women on the autism spectrum to present a picture of their feelings, thoughts and experiences at each stage of their lives.

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About Wrong Planet

Wrong Planet is the web community designed for individuals (and parents / professionals of those) with Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, ADHD, PDDs, and other neurological differences. We provide a discussion forum, where members communicate with each other, an article section, with exclusive articles and how-to guides, a blogging feature, and more. Read More >

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Wrong Planet is the web community designed for individuals (and parents / professionals of those) with Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, ADHD, PDDs, and other neurological differences. We provide a discussion forum, where members communicate with each other, an article section, with exclusive articles and how-to guides, a blogging feature, and more.

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Unmasking Autism by Devon Price, PhD: 9780593235232 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

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A deep dive into the spectrum of Autistic experience and the phenomenon of masked Autism, giving individuals the tools to safely uncover their true selves while broadening society’s narrow…

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Autism On Acid: How LSD Helped Me Understand, Navigate, Alter & Appreciate My Autistic Perceptions by Autistic Psychedelic Author, Aaron Paul Orsini.

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https://www.autisticpsychedelic.com/

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Supportive & Educational Zoom Meetings, LIVE Every Sunday @ 11am Pacific & Open to All Neurotypes. Come & Learn With Us!

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Doug Blecher is the founder of Autism Personal Coach, an organization that provides coaching to autistic adults and teens to help them reduce their daily overwhelm and get the things they want and need in their lives.

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https://www.joshuacorwin.com/assiduous-dust

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Listen to Assiduous Dust, Joshua Corwin’s very own podcast.

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https://anchor.fm/autism-personal-coach

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By Autism Personal Coach/Doug Blecher

Autism Stories: Danny Whitty

"My podcast arose because I wanted to share more stories about real, authentic people working to conserve the ocean, and to share its wonder with a diverse audience. I wanted to share my own journey learning to become a water person. And I wanted to see if hosting a podcast as a minimally-speaking autistic was possible," says Danny Whitty. Danny joins this episode to discuss his podcast The Ocean & Us, his sister as his communication regulation partner, and strategies he uses when he becomes dysregulated. To learn more Danny Whitty and his podcast visit https://Dannywithwords.com. To updated on the latest Autism Stories episode by subscribing on your favorite podcast listening platform. If you could give us a positive rating and review on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you want to reduce your overwhelm and help get your needs met and desires fulfilled then book a free zoom call now with Autism Personal Coach https://calendly.com/autimspersonalcoach/60min. If you are not comfortable with video then we can turn your video off for the call. If you would be interested in being interviewed on Autism Stories or would like to be a sponsor send an email to doug.blecher@autismpersonalcoach.com.

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Autistic people are the true experts of the autistic experience. Autism Stories will help you to live your best autistic life by interviewing autistic people and others in the autism community who share their experiences, stories, and advice with you.

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https://neuroschemas.app/

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The mobile app that empowers confidence in social situations.

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Habitica is a free habit and productivity app that treats your real life like a game. Habitica can help you achieve your goals to become healthy and happy.

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College Programs - College Autism Spectrum

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Many post-secondary institutions around the country offer training and certification programs as well as individualized and group support services.

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Inclusive Therapists offers a safer, simpler way to find a social justice-oriented therapist, counselor, coach, psychologist or psychiatrist .

We center the needs of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQIA2S+ intersections (QTBIPOC). We amplify the voices and expressions of Neurodivergent and Disabled Communities of Color.

We are a mental health liberation movement creating change through decolonial education, collective care, and activism.

Support Our Work See Our Values

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Welcome | Inclusive Therapists Directory: Culturally Responsive Mental Health Therapy for BIPOC & LGBTQ

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Find Inclusive Therapy for BIPOC & LGBTQ+ | Inclusive Therapists bridge marginalized communities with culturally affirming therapists, coaches, mental health care. Join our Mental Health Liberation Movement

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I can EMBRACE who I am;
or I can REJECT who I am

I can see myself having SUPER POWERS;
or I can see myself having SYMPTOMS

I can TAME my Kryptonites;
or I can DROWN in my challenges

I can CHERISH my uniqueness;
or DISOWN my peculiarities

I can UTILIZE my cognitive abilities;
or let my sensitivities OVERPOWER me

I can see what is GREAT about who I am;
or I can LOATHE who I am

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Embrace Autism | The ultimate autism resource

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Embrace Autism is THE place to find research & experience-based autism content for personal elucidation & empowerment. By autistic people, for autistic people.

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http://www.everyonecommunicates.org/methods/gestures.html

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Gestures in AAC by Mary Hunt Berg. Article on the use of gestures, including a continuum of gestures, teaching gestures, development of gestures, and ten reasons to encourage gestures. http://www.augcominc.com/newsletters/index.cfm/newsletter_26.pdf Enhanced Natural Gestures by Stephen Calculator. Messages from Miah: A UNH professor teaches silent children to communicate by Jake Chapline.

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ASAN partnered with the Family Network on Disabilities to produce Roadmap to Transition: A Handbook for Autistic Youth Transitioning to Adulthood. This plain language handbook was created to help young autistic people understand and plan for their transition to adult life.

Roadmap can be used in different ways. Chapters 2-6 lay the groundwork for understanding and preparing for transition. These chapters cover:

self-determination and self-advocacy

legal rights

how to make a transition plan

how to get supports, and

what supported decision-making is and how to use it.

Chapters 7-10 are content chapters. These chapters give in-depth information about the different things you'll need to think about as you go through transition planning. While each of these chapters focuses on a different topic, they all have sections about the important laws you should know and how that topic fits into your transition plan. The topics covered in these chapters are:

post-secondary education

employment

housing and independent living, and

health care.

While Roadmap's primary audience is transition-age youth, the handbook can be used as a general resource by autistic people at any stage of life. We are also currently developing a version of this resource that is not specific to transition.

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Roadmap to Transition: A Handbook for Autistic Youth Transitioning to Adulthood

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ASAN partnered with the Family Network on Disabilities to produce Roadmap to Transition: A Handbook for Autistic Youth Transitioning to Adulthood. This plain language handbook was created to help young autistic people understand and plan for their transition to adult life. Roadmap can be used in different ways.

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Empowering Leadership: A Systems Change Guide for Autistic College Students and Those with Other Disabilities - Autistic Self Advocacy Network

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The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is honored to join The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation in presenting Empowering Leadership: A Systems Change Gu...

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Neurodiverse Couples Support and Coaching Groups

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Neurodiverse Couples Support and Coaching Groups

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All Open Support Groups have new people joining from session to session and are FREE. This group, serving people from all over the world, is for the neurotypical individual married to or in partnership with someone with an Asperger profile. Here you will have the opportunity to offer and receive support, to strategize, and to share experiences with others who might relate to your situation. The group is co-facilitated by Leslie Sickels, LCSW, and Pat Schissel, LMSW, NY Director of AANE. Registration is required to receive the online meeting link.

First Tuesday of the month, 6:30 - 8:00 PM ET:

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Neurodiverse Couples and Partners - The Asperger / Autism Network (AANE)

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All Open Support Groups have new people joining from session to session and are FREE. This group, serving people from all over the world, is for the neurotypical individual married to or in partnership with someone with an Asperger profile.

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https://www.elklan.co.uk/Shop/Its_An_Autism_Thing?fbclid=IwAR2R3Ho2jb4eA5mSHTMK_VhuQ9eOGPi2cGGHSRREjha_q_SGeIxv-yzHkhw

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https://bom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Am-I-Autistic.pdf

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A Practical Guide for People with Disabilities Who Want to Go to College

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A Practical Guide for People with Disabilities Who Want to Go to College

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A Practical Guide for People with Disabilities Who Want to Go to College

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This document provides a practical guide to help people with disabilities who want to pursue their education goals at a community college, career institute, four-year college, university, or graduate school. The guide provides an overview of the challenges and supports needed to help achieve this go…

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Resources for employers who may want to hire individuals on the autism spectrum, or other neurodiverse conditions & resources for autistic adults, and other neurodiverse individuals, who seek meaningful employment.

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Therapist Neurodiversity Collective is a therapy, education, and advocacy collaborative for SLPs, OTs, PTs, and licensed assistants.

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All the weight of our dreams - On living racialized autism

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Rest for Resistance by QTPoC Mental Health creates art, writing, and meditation spaces. Our goal is to uplift trans, queer, and BIPOC wisdom about community healing and self-care.

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Rest for Resistance by QTPoC Mental Health creates art, writing, and meditation spaces. Our goal is to uplift trans, queer, and BIPOC wisdom about community healing and self-care.

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All the weight of our dreams - On living racialized autism

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April is Autism Acceptance Month.

As an educator, you might be looking for a few good books to read with your class. There are hundreds - if not thousands - of titles to choose from! Unfortunately, not all books about autism spread the same message.

We want to make sure the books we choose promote inclusion and accessibility. We don't want to share books that stigmatize, pathologize, or infantilize our autistic students.

I know teachers are busy and might not have time to sift through every title. This list will help you take the guess work out of choosing a few fabulous books!

These titles were carefully selected in That Au-Some Book Club - a group dedicated to discussing books about autism and neurodiversity.

Some of the titles are autism-specific while others promote inclusion and diversity in a broader sense. All of them would be fantastic additions to your classroom or school library, and perfect for reading aloud with your class!
Notes: Titles with (*) behind the listing indicate the author is autistic. The absence of a (*) does not mean the author is not autistic. This list is not all-inclusive. There are plenty of other titles that promote inclusivity and neurodiversity. These are the titles I stand behind as the author of this article. I participate in the Amazon Associates Program. I earn a (very) small commission from the links provided.

Picture Books

I included Accelerated Reading information for the books I could find.
Wiggles, Stomps, and Squeezes Calm My Jitters Down by Lindsey Parker, Illustrated by Rebecca Burgess *Preorder now! This book is fantastic and comes out in April. *

Do You Want to Play? Making Friends with an Autistic Kid by Daniel Share-Strom, Maxine Share, Illustrated by Naghmeh Afshinjah *

Sensory Seeking Sebastian by Christia DeShields, Illustrated by Marissa Nelson

Benji, the Bad Day, and Me by Sally J Pla et al. Illustrated by Ken Min *

My Wandering Dreaming Mind by Merriam Saunders, Illustrated by Tammie Lyon (ND Author)

Too Sticky! :Sensory Issues with Autism by Jen Malia et al. Illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff *

Come Meet Drayden by Dana Young-Askew, illustrated by Cameron Wilson

My Whirling, Twirling Motor by Merriam Saunders, Illustrated by Tammie Lyon (ND Author)

Suzi Spins by Emma Dalmayne and Illustrated by her son Raphelle *

Benny Doesn't Like to Be Hugged by Zetta Elliott, Illustrated by Purple Wong

The Masterpiece: One Big Canvas by Jay Miletsky, Illustrated by Luis Peres

The Molding of Clay by Jay Miletsky, Illustrated by Luis Peres

The Perfect Fit by Naomi Jones, Illustrated by James Jones

Swing by Michael Hall, Illustrated by Michael Hall

Novels
Be Who You Are by Todd Parr, Illustrated by Todd Parr

Rosalee the Seeker by Nicole Filippone *

The Little Senses Series by Samantha Cotterill, Illustrated by Samantha Cotterill*

The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family by Sarah Kapit (novel) *

Trouble with a Tiny T by Merriam Saunders ND Author

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll *

Moojag and the Auticode Secret by N.E. McMorran*
More Titles to Explore

Do You Know Me? by Libby Scott & Rebecca Westcott (sequel ) *

Underdogs Series by Chris Bonnello

In Two Worlds by Ido Kedar *

Nonfiction Titles Including Biographies

Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty *

Leaders Around Me: Autobiographies of Autistics who Type, Point, and Spell to Communicate edited by Edlyn Vallejo Peña, PhD *

Anatomy of Autism: A Pocket Guide for Educators, Parents, and Students by Diego Pena *

Fall down Seven Times Get Up Eight by Naoki Higashida *

The Spectrum Girl's Survival Guide: How to Grow Up Awesome and Autistic by Siena Castellon *

Odd Girl Out by Laura James *
More Titles to Explore

Must-Reads for Educators of Neurodivergent Students
Ido in Autismland by Ido Kedar *

The Awesome Autistic Go-To Guide: A Practical Handbook for Autistic Teens and Tweens by Yenn Purkis and Tanya Masterman *

The Autism-Friendly Guide to Periods by Robyn Steward *
a resource for older elementary students

Inclusive Education for Autistic Children: Helping Children and Young People to Learn and Flourish in the Classroom by Dr. Rebecca Wood*

Beyond Behaviors by Mona Delahooke PhD

War on Autism: On the Cultural Logic of Normative Violence by Anne McGuire

Understanding and Evaluating Autism Theory by Nick Chown
More Titles to Explore

Cooking Up Some Delicious Resources!
Communication Alternatives in Autism: Perspectives on Typing and Spelling Approaches...by Edlyn Vallejo Peña *

Lost At Schoo l: Why Our Kids With Behavioral Challenges Are Falling Through The Cracks And How We Can Help Them by Dr. Ross Greene Ph. D

Avoiding Anxiety in Autistic Children: A Guide for Autistic Wellbeing by Dr. Luke Beardon (ND Author)

Helping Kids Communicate Without Speaking: Sign Language, Visual Schedules, AAC, and more!

Helping Nonspeaking Kids Transition to Spelling, Typing, and Pointing - A Resource List

Accessible Academics Course: Adapting Grade Level Curriculum to Nonspeaking Students

Beyond Behaviors Course: Effective Science-Based Tools to Transform Childhood Behaviors - Professional Development Credits Available!

If you appreciate this article and want to support my efforts, please consider becoming a Patreon. Thank you in advance!

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Autism-Positive Books for Teachers to Read During April

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April is Autism Acceptance Month. As an educator, you might be looking for a few good books to read with your class. There are hundreds - if not thousands - of titles to choose from! Unfortunately, not all books about autism spread the same message.

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https://sites.google.com/view/autisminbooks/home?authuser=0#h.x133p66g0vu4

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OUR VISION

Sins Invalid recognizes that we will be liberated as whole beings-as disabled, as queer, as brown, as black, as gender non-conforming, as trans, as women, as men, as non-binary gendered- we are far greater whole than partitioned. We recognize that our allies emerge from many communities and that demographic identity alone does not determine one's commitment to liberation.

Sins Invalid is committed to social and economic justice for all people with disabilities - in lockdowns, in shelters, on the streets, visibly disabled, invisibly disabled, sensory minority, environmentally injured, psychiatric survivors - moving beyond individual legal rights to collective human rights.

Our stories, imbedded in analysis, offer paths from identity politics to unity amongst all oppressed people, laying a foundation for a collective claim of liberation and beauty.

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Sins Invalid is a disability justice performance project that centers people of color, queers, nonbinary and trans people with disabilities.

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Barking Sycamores published its first issue in the spring of 2014 and from the beginning, it dedicated itself to providing a medium for neurodivergent voices in literaure and art. In partnership with Autonomous Press's NeuroQueer Books, the journal proudly presents its Year One anthology. Collected in this volume are its first four issues, first published online in 2014 and 2015.

FEATURING WORK BY: Sarah Akin, Mikey Allcock, Samm Almester, Amy Barlow Liberatore, Matthew Brown, Cathy Carlisi, Ellie Castellanos, Tasha Chemel, Deanna Christian, Robin Como, Allen Davis, Melissa DeHart, Heather Dorn, fayola, Leila Fortier, Kimberly Gerry Tucker, Jessica Goody, Elizabeth J. (Ibby) Grace, Michael Lee Johnson, Duane L. Herrmann, Madison Kallisti, Jillian Koopman, Thomas Krampf, Craig Kurtz, Savanna Logsdon-Breakstone, Chris McLean, Laura Merleau, David Mitchell, Michael Scott Monje Jr., N.I. Nicholson, A.J. Odasso, Emily Paige Ballou, Thomas Park, C.F. Roberty, Miss Roberts, Maranda Russell, Barbara Ruth, Giorgia Sage, Phillip Sroka, Lucas Scheelk, A.D. Stone, Bethany Tap, Jonathan Travelstead, Candy Waters, Angela Weddle, Christopher Wood-Robbins

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Barking Sycamores: Year One [Maday, V. Solomon, NIcholson, N.I.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Barking Sycamores: Year One

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Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network (AWN)

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It's my favorite time of the year! Halloween is coming up soon, and for many Latine people like myself, it's also close to Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos). I love this season of spirits, spooks, and sweets.

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Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network (AWN)

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In an ideal world, any child who has a passion for science and the will to pursue it would be able to do so. But for countless children with autism, opportunities to explore such interests are often frustratingly few and far between.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 17 percent of children between the ages of 3 and 17 have one or more developmental disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Past research indicates that many of these children gravitate toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) once exposed to the disciplines. One such study found that over a third of young adults with an autism spectrum disorder (34.1 percent) chose a STEM major in college. This rate is significantly higher than that of the general student population (22.8 percent).

But despite their penchant for science and tech, youth with disabilities are often excluded from STEM activities in educational settings due to mistaken assumptions about their learning capacity .

"This missed opportunity is detrimental for these children," Megan Vinh, an Advanced Technical Assistance Specialist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, explained in an article on the matter . It's not just that they are being excluded from this - it's really an opportunity they are denied, and that is a true inequity."

Vinh explains that students with learning disabilities like autism might be taken out of class to receive other services while their peers engage in STEM activities. Alternatively, some schools might deprioritize science learning out of a belief that such students can gain more from different areas of learning. "But we know from research that engaging in STEM supports gains in other content areas, so it's critical they participate," she concludes.

Indeed, this lack of access is unfortunate, especially given that the benefits of childhood exposure to STEM are well-documented.

"STEM habits of mind - such as critical thinking, persistence, and systematic experimentation - are important across all subject areas and may be essential to how children learn to learn," researcher Elisabeth McClure explained in an article for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). "This development is not just about the basics like counting and vocabulary, although these skills and background knowledge are important too; it's about problem solving and other higher-level skills that transfer across many domains."

To McClure's point, STEM education is not just about building science skills or driving children toward technology careers. Research indicates that it can also support ingenuity and creativity, build resilience and experimentation, promote teamwork, and advance problem-solving skills and adaptability.

But despite the benefits noted above, many students with ASD are not encouraged to pursue post-secondary education at all. The same researchers who reported the correlation between students with ASD and increased interest in STEM majors also found that these students had the third-lowest level of post-secondary enrollment out of the ten disability categories they studied.

What does this mean? If educators and parents provide greater academic support at earlier ages, including exposure to STEM, more students may have access to post-secondary educational opportunities. As the study concludes , if "advances continue in the early identification and treatment of children with autism...these enrollment rates are likely to increase and, consequently, STEM participation among individuals with an ASD may also continue to increase over time."

Education for students with autism and other disabilities is changing . The principle of inclusion has become widely supported and recognized by national, state, and local educational authorities and has become a mandate for most districts. However, barriers prevent students with autism from being genuinely engaged in school STEM activities, especially at the early age levels. We need to do more to improve these students' access to STEM studies and higher education as a whole.

Below, we've listed a few major disciplines, each with a summary of the field and a series of resources for students with autism who want to pursue their passion for science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.

Happy explorations!

Programming

Overview

Programming involves writing code that provides instructions to a computer that enables it to operate, run software programs, or execute applications. This code drives everything from the operation of your everyday desktop or laptop to the websites you visit and the mobile apps you download.

Below, we've included a few resources that may help children with autism learn introductory programming concepts.

Resources

Engineering

Overview

From bridges and buildings to toasters, TVs, and computers, engineers guide and advance their design and implementation. Engineers use STEM principles to develop solutions to real-life problems, bringing the science of STEM into practice in society. Engineering can involve a wide array of specialties, including chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, and electrical engineering.

Here are a few resources that can help children with ASD pursue their interest in engineering.

Resources

Data Science

Overview

Data scientists combine programming skills, statistical and mathematical knowledge, and topical knowledge to analyze and extract insights from raw data. Their work can be useful for companies, governments, marketers, and many others who want to better understand how populations act and why.

Here are some resources to support your child's interest in this growing field.

Resources

Physics

Overview

Physics, which examines matter and its motion through space and time, underlies many of the applied STEM fields, including computer programming, data science, and engineering. Physics can include these more applied studies as well as broader, theoretical studies of nature that aim to understand why the universe behaves in the ways that it does.

Check out the resources below to support your child's education in physics.

Resources

Game Design

Overview

Sure, video games are often pitched as child's play - but designing and creating video games is a significant STEM career! Game design takes a lot of work; the job includes planning, writing, and programming interactive content. Coding skills are essential to game design, and gaming can spark a young person's interest in complex programming concepts.

Here are some game design resources that can foster a love of STEM among young people.

Resources

Astrophysics

Overview

Astrophysics, the science of space, uses the laws and principles of chemistry and physics to understand our universe. It studies the stars, planets, galaxies, and other objects in the universe, dealing with the physical properties, movement, and behavior of celestial objects.

Below are some resources to encourage interest in astrophysics among children with autism.

Resources

Chemistry

Overview

The entire universe is made up of chemicals - everything you do involves chemicals in some way - from the chemical processes inside your body to the food that you eat. Chemistry studies matter, its properties, and how it interacts with energy and other matter.

People might think of lab testing or hazardous substances when they think of chemistry, but in many ways, chemistry is a study of the building blocks of life. It is a foundational part of cooking, cleaning, and countless other everyday activities.

Use the resources below to inspire young children with ASD to explore the field!

Resources

Biology

Overview

Biology is, quite simply, the study of life. It involves studying living organisms and their structure, growth, evolution, and development. Biology helps us understand the earth, develop medical treatments, and explore unknown plants and creatures - and much, much more.

Explore these resources below to introduce children with autism to the basics of biology.

Resources

Environmental Science

Overview

In a world where climate change is a significant concern, many young learners want to do everything they can to improve the environment and protect it from harm. Environmental science brings together biology, chemistry, engineering, physics, geology, and meteorology to better understand ecology and the effects of human interaction on the planet.

Below, you'll find a few resources to cultivate children's interest in environmental science.

Resources

Mathematics

Overview

Mathematics involves the study of numbers and how they interact. This field can involve theoretical analysis as well as applied mathematics topics such as statistics or game theory. Mathematics is at the core of many disciplines, including computer science, engineering, the natural sciences, medicine, and finance.

Check out these resources below for ideas on how to further math education for students with autism!

Resources

These are just some of the exciting STEM areas that can provoke great interest and engagement for students with autism.

It's time for kids with autism to be fully included in all areas of STEM study and pursue any passion they might have for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. With these resources at hand, you can help these students achieve their academic potential - and perhaps even spark a lifelong interest.

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The Ultimate Resource Guide for STEM Students With Autism - UT Austin Boot Camps

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In an ideal world, any child who has a passion for science and the will to pursue it would be able to do so. But for countless children with autism, opportunities to explore such interests are often frustratingly few and far between.

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Asiatu "Coach" Lawoyin Empowerment Services

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Individual Neurodivergent Focused Empowerment Coaching
$100 - 30 min coaching session*
These sessions are neurodivergent centered. They include personalized coaching, including tools, to help you feel empowered, seen, supported and validated as a neurodivergent adult & or guardian of ND children. I also work with professionals whose clients are ND or wanting to create a more affirming space for our community.

I typically also give optional "homework" exercise along with a plan for the next appointment to best address your concerns. My sessions have been described as "speaking to a good friend who gives great advice."
**I ACCEPT BARTER FOR ND ADULTS. Inquire for details.**

Coaching styles:

1. PROBLEM(S) or GOAL centered for ND adults

ex: Addressing internalized ableism

2. AUTISM &/or Neurodivergent focused for professionals ex: therapists, business owners, etc.

3. GUARDIAN of neurodivergent child(ren)

ex: parents, grandparents etc.

Please pick one or more of the styles mentioned. All sessions are via written form/chat on Google Chat. I do NOT do video sessions and rarely do phone sessions. I am open to doing a free "meet and greet phone consultation" for introductory purposes only. *Note: Payment is required when scheduling the appointment. Also, please specify which style(s) you are wanting.

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Services - Asiatu "Coach" Lawoyin Empowerment Services

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An Executive Functioning Coach is an expert whose job is three-fold.

1. Your EF Coach helps you gain an awareness of your current executive functioning. They help you learn how you work and why you've been struggling with some things and succeeding with others.

2. Your EF Coach helps you gain an awareness of what is required to accomplish the things you want to accomplish. T hey help you develop the systems, structures, and supports you need in order to bridge the gap between what you are capable of naturally and what it is that you are trying to do.

3. Your EF Coach helps you develop your executive functioning. Your ability to choose and control your own behavior will grow over time as you strengthen your cognitive executive functioning skills. As you grow, you'll need less and less time, energy and support to accomplish the things you want to accomplish.

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An Executive Functioning Coach is an expert whose job is three-fold. Your EF Coach helps you gain an awareness of your current executive functioning. They help you learn how you work and why you've been struggling with some things and succeeding with others.

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https://embrace-autism.com/autism-tests/

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Online autism tests can play an important role in your journey of self-discovery, and may inform your decision to pursue a formal diagnosis

For a formal assessment, please see a knowledgeable professional who is qualified
to assess autism, such as Dr. Engelbrecht ND RP

Do you think you might be autistic? Try any
(or several) of the autism tests for adults below!

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Do you think you might be autistic? Have a look at the various autism tests and other psychometric tests (empathy, alexithymia, stimming, camouflaging, etc.) we compiled for you!

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https://www.additudemag.com/screener-autism-spectrum-disorder-symptoms-test-adults/

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Do I Have ASD? Autism Test for Adults

Awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has grown dramatically in recent years, which reflects an increase in autism tests and diagnoses - and in the public's understanding that, even late in life, an autism diagnosis can offer major benefits and relief. Still, symptoms of autism - particularly those previously associated with Aspergers - are still frequently misdiagnosed as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD), mood disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and other related conditions - leading to poor treatment and lifelong challenges.

Adults with autism may have a history of delayed language language and/or movement skills, delayed cognitive or learning skills, unusual eating or sleeping habits, emotional dysregulation, anxiety, stress, and/or fear. If you recognize yourself or a loved one in the following descriptions of autism spectrum disorder, make an appointment with a health care professional to discuss an evaluation test for autism.
This free autism test was adapted from the Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) designed to screen the possibility of ASD, and is for personal use only. This is not a diagnostic tool. An accurate diagnosis can only be made through clinical evaluation. This autism test is for personal use only.
Can't see the autism test questions above? Click here to open this test in a new window.

Autism Test Next Steps: Autism Spectrum Disorder In Adults

1. Take: The ADHD Test for Adults
2. Read: What Does Autism Look Like in Adults?
3. Find: Specialists or Clinics Near You
4. Read: How to Get Evaluated for Autism as an Adult
5. Take This Test: OCD in Adults
6. Get the eBook "The Truth About Autism in Adults"
7. Listen to the Webinar: "Could I Be on the Autism Spectrum?"
8. Take This Test The Autism Test from WebMD
9. Read: Say Goodbye to Aspergers Syndrome
10. Find: Specialists or Clinics Near You

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Autism Test: Signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults

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Could I have autism? What does autism spectrum disorder look like in adults? How do I know if I am autistic? What about Aspergers? Take this free autism test for adults and share the instant results with a health professional for evaluation.

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https://psychology-tools.com/test/autism-spectrum-quotient

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A psychological self-assessment measuring Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ for short), which is a measure of the expression of autistic traits in adults.

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https://www.aspietests.org/

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Welcome to the Aspie tests website. This site hosts a collection of tests related to autism and Asperger's syndrome. Please feel free to try any of the tests.

You are not currently logged in. If you are registered you can log in here or click here to create an account.

Below is a list of the currently available tests:

Did you have any problems with the tests or just want to make a suggestion? Please let me know.

This website and its translations are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The tests on this site are copyright by their respective authors.

Could you help with translation? If so, please get in touch.

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Welcome to the Aspie tests website. This site hosts a collection of tests related to autism and Asperger's syndrome. Please feel free to try any of the tests. You are not currently logged in. If you are registered you can log in here or click here to create an account.

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Alessio Rizzo Neurodiversity and Choice 

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Alessio Rizzo Neurodiversity and Choice 

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Different ways of experiencing the world such as ADHD or autism are not necessarily a deficit. British psychotherapist Alessio Rizzo who works with neurodiversity tells us more about this idea that has been gaining popularity in recent years, and his work.
What drew me to your approach in psychotherapy was an emphasis on your work with neurodiversity. Can you explain this a bit for us? If I understood this correctly, you try to put this approach of paying special attention to neurodiversity in your meeting with another person in your psychotherapeutic encounters. How do you think of neurodiversity in your work? What do you think neurodiversity is?
I like the word „neurodiversity" because it is quite new and it doesn't carry a heavy label for people like someone called autistic could evoke in people. I like to make a distinction between someone on the autistic spectrum and someone having ADHD experience. All are under the same umbrella (together with dyslexia), probably because of our ignorance right now that we are just starting to make sense of this, but they are different words.

I have been privileged enough to work as a teacher for one year with someone with ADHD and one year with someone with autism. It happened when I was still teaching and I was doing my training in gestalt.

I had to bridge this gap between teaching and therapy. The teaching was coming second; what came first was trying to understand these human beings. My knowledge comes from having spent a lot of time working with people with these experiences. I have gathered knowledge that is not written anywhere.

When I ask other professionals what autism is, noone can tell me exactly what it is, for example. It is really about recognizing that, when it comes to autism, social norms don't make sense. People with these neurodiverse traits have a huge sense of honesty and integrity. So lying, including white lies, doesn't make sense. In general, I would say that people with autistic experiences do not understand the "unspoken" part of communication, what we call reading "social cues" or "reading between the lines".

When I hear that someone dreads small talk, when I hear that someone is very ashamed of social interactions, that is usually a clue that social situations do not make sense to them. That is what I believe is the core of autism, the rest is probably a traumatic experience, because if you don't understand social interactions, you are likely to get bullied or marginalised. One gets treated differently.
So what you are saying is that there is the kind of core, which is the essence and then what is added up to this essence is further trauma because the person perceives the world differently and this can result in a potential clash with social reality. What would the emphasis be in this kind of therapy work that you are doing? Other kinds of psychotherapies might try to get this person to accommodate to the world more because there still isn't sufficient understanding of neurodiversity in our system.
First, things might not be clear at the beginning. You just might be dealing with a lot of traumas to start with. Trauma for me is what is added on top of what you naturally are (an open, energetic and compassionate person, for example) and what stops you from being a healthy human being. You can treat traumas with bodily psychotherapy or with IFS. The whole point is that you let go of whatever stops you from being who you are. So then once the person has enough of an understanding of who they are - maybe they come and say "I want to date, I want to get into the relationship." Sometimes they want to do that because they want to be „normal".

It's their decision in the end, it's about honoring them as a human being. Maybe their need to belong to the wider community is so strong that they want to engage with relationships, with these practices and social events. This means that they will have to almost build a muscle, they will have to learn social skills. Or they might say that it's not important for them to engage with these practices, it is more important for them to be who they are.

It is really about always double-checking where the request for the change is coming from, what the needs are, and giving the person a realistic choice. If you want to do what you have been told to do, you probably have to work extra hard, because it doesn't come spontaneously to you. If that's what you want to do, then go for it. And then maybe the person reviews it and says - oh no, I don't actually want to do that.
So the emphasis is on personal choice. The recognition of one's need and then the choice that one wants to make in regard to those neurodiverse traits.
Yeah, that choice is deeply therapeutic. Maybe this person was never given that choice. Or was always told, „you need to be that way".

Here we say, you can be that way because that will give you a sense of community and you might not. What is important that you know is who you are and draw a choice from there.
So this leads me to the question of where you think that the gestalt therapeutic approach is touching this work and where it parts from it.
What I am talking about is deeply relational, which is at the core of gestalt therapy. Coming from the UK gestalt tradition, being relational and paying a lot of attention to the power dynamic in the room. The more I understand my biases, the more I understand my power.

If I am a bit dyslexic - I don't consider myself being hugely on a neurodiverse spectrum, I am in a position of power and privilege somehow, because I find it easy to go into a social situation and have a good time because I can understand social clues. So I come from the privileged position as opposed to someone who has been maybe oppressed by this disposition by someone who is non-neurodiverse telling them that they are wrong.

This is where I pay my attention to trying not to replicate this dynamic in the room. Sometimes even as I speak to clients, I might apologize if I said something that has come from my biases. Sometimes when I do interventions I pause and take a moment to realize where my interventions are coming from so that they don't come from the position that I know what is good for them, and I don't.

The phenomenological approach that we really have no idea that the other person is going through is really helpful - I am trained with sitting and not knowing and I am ok with not knowing, let's discover this together.
You also put a special emphasis on sexual diversity. So if you would be working with LGBT, how would you work with someone who lives within an oppressive social context?
For me, safety comes first. Like, for example, the topic of coming out. I refrain from saying, if you want to come out just come out and face whatever consequences. A few years ago I was running a group of LGBT asylum seekers coming out of the UK, especially from Asian countries, and for them coming out might mean that someone in the family can kill you.

It is really again about respecting the personal choice, so there might be part who wants to come out, who wants to tell the world, one person, or the parents and the family, and another part that tells well you can really expose yourself.

The job there is to really negotiate with all parts and find the way forward, keeping safety in mind. It is really about putting the biases in the bin - what I think should happen - and really listening to what the whole situation here is.
Now that you have mentioned these parts, this is I suppose, from the Internal Family System therapy. Can you tell us more about this? What would you say is the special strength of this kind of therapy?
The special strength is that it uses language that is accessible to both the therapist and the client. People read my article about IFS and they make sense. People get them. IFS creates a different relational dynamic, with less power dynamic. The method is clear- there are different parts of ourselves. Sometimes some parts become burdened with trauma, they lose their original lightness. Sometimes the situation is very complex, different parts of us want different things. You go in there not knowing what you will find. You ask your clients to check with them what parts of them are active at the moment and you start talking to them. This is pretty much an inner form of two-chair work.

IFS uses the idea or "multiplicity of mind", which states that we have different parts of ourselves, and these parts have their own ideas, opinions, beliefs, memories, and feelings. In IFS there is something we call the "insight" in which you guide the client to notice what parts of them are active inside and we invite the client to establish a dialogue with these parts from a state of consciousness that we call "Self" (with capital S). IFS is, in a nutshell, a way to get into this state called „Self ", from which new dynamics emerge.

The presence of Self is key in IFS because, otherwise, parts tend to disagree and remain in a fight that never ends inside our system. This is almost like a spiritual essence, and it was discovered phenomenologically by Dick Schwartz, the founder of Internal Family Systems therapy. He discovered that, if you detach from all your parts, all of the sudden you enter a state of calm and compassion. If you connect to your parts from that state, the work is very different. You can ask a part to speak directly to the Self, and things spontaneously change.

In my opinion, IFS can treat the trauma better than other modalities that I know of. Since methodology requires that Self is a present as possible, when you speak to the parts that were traumatized, usually the trauma gets released. Any person who can follow this methodology, whether neurodiverse or not, can benefit from this.
Let us return to neurodiversity. When I think about different approaches to neurodiversity one question always comes up; where is the boundary between neurodiversity and what is seen as destructive adaptations to trauma? This is perhaps part of the wider question of where that fine line in general, not only when it comes to neurodiversity.
Thank you for this question, Iva. I think that a fine line exists in anybody who has experienced trauma. I believe that it goes down to our ethical code of conduct as psychotherapists to remember that we don't know where that line is, but that it exists.

IFS offers a way to shed some light on this. We use the word "burden" to indicate the fact that a part of ourself, at some point in life, has taken on some restrictive and unnatural beliefs or fears that stop that part from functioning spontaneously in a healthy way (we have a protocol called "unburdening" in IFS). This is, somehow, similar to the gestalt therapy ideas of "fixed gestalts" or "creative adjustment".
As a therapist having the experience to work with adhd, what would you say, for example, in what way is, for example, an adhd experience different to the „neurotypical" kind of experience?
Once we have identified a part that is struggling or having difficulties, we simply ask that part whether it has been burdened in the past and if anything has happened that has interfered with the natural state of that part. In this way, we avoid making therapeutic assumption about what is a "natural and healthy way of being" and what is traumatic.

From my experience, I would say that people who live with ADHD have the following two patterns:

1. Some difficulties in what they call "executive functioning". In other words, there are fast and numerous ideas that come to their mind, but there are immense difficulties in "executing" these ideas. It is almost as if their thinking goes 10 times faster than their body, which can only do one task at a time. Any form of planning, time keeping and sticking to a schedule is, therefore, difficult. Ofter people experience fogginess and confusion in their thinking.

2. People with ADHD seem to be strongly affected by their relational field. When working with that student with ADHD, there was no way for his brain to be focussed on learning if there had been any difficulties with his family members. For example, if he had a fight with his brother, he would not be able to focus for days. I believe this point is rarely included in any definition of ADHD. Perhaps more research can be done to discover better ways to support people who suffer from ADHD.

Since most therapeutic approaches deal with the unconscious emotions and healing of past traumas I sometimes find that there is a need for more emphasis on what is valuable in a certain type of experience, what existentialists would call „way of being".

In line with that, are there any strengths that can be perceived from neurodiverse experiences, as compared to neurotypical ways of being?

If I understand this question correctly, Iva, the answer is that we might have a lot to learn from people who we now call "neurodiverse". This comes from my Gestalt therapy training and field theory. Every diagnostic label describes a "difference" from the norm, but we have created these norms as a collective. People who we label neurodiverse simply challenge the culture we live in, and, in my opinion, we have a lot to learn. Possibly these differences are the way forward to being a better human species. Here is what we can learn:

1. From people on the autistic spectrum, we can learn honesty and clarity of communication. What would our world be if we did not lie to each other, and if we embraced and accepted our experience without constantly questioning it because society tells us so?

2. From people with ADHD experiences, we can learn that life does not have to run on a time schedule, and that perhaps we are just overstimulated. We can learn that human relationships and simplicity is the key to health.

3. From people with dyslexia we might learn that artistic and non-linear ways of thinking can lead to a better and more creative life.

I know that there are, for example, companies that recruit people on the autistic spectrum for work in the field of IT (information technology). This is because of the precision these jobs require and because the honesty of the workers is an added bonus.
What is it that you as a therapist have learned most in the encounters with different ways of being?

I certainly hope that we, as a collective, start to see diversity of all kinds as a gift and an opportunity to grow rather than something to medicate.
Therapy with Alessio, web-page of Alessio Rizzo
Working with people who think and function differently from me help me remain humble and remind me that I do not know, and that there is wisdom and opportunity to grow when encountering someone who is different.

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Alessio Rizzo: Neurodiversity - adhd, autism and choice - Existentia

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Different ways of experiencing the world such as ADHD or autism are not necessarily a deficit. British psychotherapist Alessio Rizzo who works with neurodiversity tells us more about this idea that has been gaining popularity in recent years, and his work. What drew me to your approach in psychotherapy was an emphasis on your work with neurodiversity.

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https://www.ndrn.org/about/ndrn-member-agencies/

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NDRN is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and Client Assistance Programs (CAP).

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https://thedrlc.org/

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Founded in 1975, Disability Rights Legal Center (DRLC) is a 501C-3 non-profit, public interest advocacy organization that champions the civil rights of people with disabilities through education, advocacy, and litigation.

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Founded in 1975, Disability Rights Legal Center (DRLC) is a 501C-3 non-profit, public interest advocacy organization that champions the civil rights of people with disabilities through education, advocacy, and litigation.

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Hidden Link Between Autism and Addiction

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Hidden Link Between Autism and Addiction

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The Hidden Link Between Autism and Addiction

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It’s believed that people on the spectrum don’t get hooked on alcohol or other drugs. New evidence suggests they do.

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https://www.smartrecovery.org/

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JOIN THE SMART INSIDERS+ PROGRAM!

Demonstrate Your Support for SMART Recovery, Join the SMART Insiders+ Program!

When you take part in SMART Insiders+, our only recurring donation program, you will help others who seek a balanced and healthy life beyond addiction. For as little as $7/month, you will provide materials and other resources to volunteers who connect directly with SMART participants seeking recovery. To show our appreciation, you'll receive an attractively designed, high-quality medallion that signifies your commitment to helping all of us live our best lives. Thank you taking part.

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SMART Recovery is the leading evidence-based addiction recovery program. Join a free meeting today and begin experiencing a Life Beyond Addiction.

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Free digital recovery meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic

During this pandemic, we realize that many in-person meetings have been canceled or people may not be able to attend their regular meetings for various reasons. We are now offering online recovery support groups which will be available seven times daily at 7AM, 9AM, 12PM, 3PM, 6PM, 9PM, and 11PM EST. We are also offering one daily family and loved one recovery support meeting at 8PM EST; a twice weekly LGBTQ+ (Mon at 7PM EST & Wed at 11AM EST); a twice weekly Womxn's Only (Tue & Thurs at 7PM EST) all recovery meeting; a weekly Harm Reduction Works (HRW; Fri at 1PM EST) meeting; a weekly pregnant and postpartum (PPR) mothers (Tue at 10AM EST) all recovery meeting; and a weekly grief support meeting (Thu at 4PM EST). All recovery meetings are non-denominational, agnostic to any specific recovery pathway, and are open to anyone.

Video is optional but can be used

Real names do not have to be used and are not required

Audio can be muted and you are not required to share

Please be respectful of all participants just as you would in any other meeting or recovery space - we are all in this together

Frequently Asked Questions

We are hosting meetings at 9AM, 12PM, 3PM, 6PM, 9PM, and 11PM EST currently. We may also add additional meeting times in the future as capacity needs grow. As meetings continue to get cancelled, please share this information with your networks and keep coming back. Full details are here: https://unityrecovery.org/digital-recovery-meetings

These are open all-recovery meetings, which means people in or supportive of recovery from any type of behavioral health disorder or quality of life concern are welcome. No matter the program, pathway, or type of recovery you are in, this is a meeting for you. As a reminder, we typically introduce ourselves as "Hello, My name is ____ and I am a person in recovery", but feel free to identify however is comfortable for you.

If anyone you know, or you yourself, needs extra support, please feel to message the meeting facilitator on the platform, or send an email to contact@unityrecovery.org and we'll get you connected to a peer support specialist ASAP

Anyone can choose to speak or share in a group, but no one is required to do so. Silently experiencing what is being shared has great value by itself.

When sharing in meetings, we encourage you to keep the focus on personal experience. If giving feedback to other participants, we ask that you keep the feedback free of judgment and focused on strengths and support.

Any harmful (i.e. derogatory or confrontational) language or behavior directed toward anyone in our community will not be tolerated and will result in immediate removal from the meeting. Such language includes - but is not limited to - expressions of racism, sexism, genderism, classism, or any hostile or purposely stigmatizing language.

While your honesty is encouraged, please be mindful while sharing. For example, your body language or expressing extreme anger or aggression may cause unnecessary stress or trauma for others.

Commenting on anyone else's appearance is inappropriate, even if it is worded in the form of a compliment.

We are committed to making this a safe space for all community members. If you are feeling uncomfortable in a meeting, please reach out to the facilitator or email contact@unityrecovery.org

We encourage everyone to practice patience and tolerance and to keep an open mind, as everyone is in a different place in their recovery. If you disagree with someone, be respectful.

Bigotry or criticism regarding shares on current events. As a reminder, the sanctity of human life and safety is not considered a political issue and may be shared about at any time. Criticizing others for sharing on a topic that is very personal to their lives is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We do not condone and will not accept racism or bigotry of any type in these meetings. In addition, we are providing a general warning to all attendees that minimizing these events is unacceptable in verbal shares. We ask that you respect the experiences of those most affected. If you do not agree with this approach, we are happy to help you find another recovery support meeting.

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Free digital recovery meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic During this pandemic, we realize that many in-person meetings have been canceled or people may not be able to attend their regular meetings for various reasons. We are now offering online recovery support groups which will be available seven times daily at 7AM, 9AM, 12PM, 3PM, 6PM, 9PM, and 11PM EST.

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https://hams.cc/

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HAMS supports any positive change from safer drinking to reduced drinking to quitting alcohol altogether. BETTER IS BETTER!

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Top 10 Employers Seeking Autistic Employers

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Top 10 Employers Seeking Autistic Employers

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https://www.verywellhealth.com/top-autism-friendly-employers-4159784

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According to research, performing job-related activities helps to reduce symptoms and increase daily living skills for those with autism; however, only about half of autistic adults are employed.﻿﻿ There's no doubt that employment is elusive for adults on the spectrum. This reality, however, is changing fast.

A January 2019 article in Forbes, "Effective Autism (Neurodiversity) Employment: A Legal Perspective."﻿﻿ would have been nonexistent a decade prior. The article pointed to major initiatives by top tech employers, such as SAP and Microsoft, and the beneficial impact of their workplace inclusion programs.

Why More Autism-Friendly Employers?

The reasons for this rapid expansion of opportunities aren't absolutely clear, but it seems clear that there are at least four:

The awareness of autism is vastly increased. A huge increase in diagnoses (for whatever set of reasons) means that 1 in 54 American children has autism.﻿﻿

The increase in diagnoses is, at least in part, the result of much broader diagnostic criteria for autism. Instead of including only severely disabled individuals, the autism spectrum now includes individuals with high intelligence and significant skills.

There is an increasing need for workers with the skills, thought patterns, and work ethic that are common among people on the autism spectrum.

People with autism often prefer repetitive work and may not have a strong desire or need for novelty. This can be an asset in many jobs and can be hard to find within the general community.

Autistic adults are, in general, dependable, routinized, focused, detail-oriented, and passionate about their work. Many have outstanding technical and/or math skills. And quite a few are able to find unique solutions to problems that have eluded their more conventional colleagues.

Knowing that autistic workers are increasingly in demand, where are the best jobs? Here's a run-down of some of the top opportunities for adults on the spectrum.

As you'll see, some of these companies are open to people with a wide range of abilities; others are looking specifically for high-functioning individuals with particular skill sets.

Some see autism as just one of many disabilities, while others are focused on autism because of the skills most prevalent among folks on the spectrum. In every case, however, these companies are more than willing to hire people with an autism spectrum diagnosis.

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Top 10 Employers Seeking Autistic Employees

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According to research, performing job-related activities helps to reduce symptoms and increase daily living skills for those with autism; however, only about half of autistic adults are employed.﻿﻿ There's no doubt that employment is elusive for adults on the spectrum. This reality, however, is changing fast.

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Providing programs and materials to support neurodivergent students in developing life skills and becoming work-ready.

Providing materials for parents and carers to support their students.

1. TRANSITION TO UNIVERSITY

This information pertains to supporting autistic students in academic settings and comes from a variety of sources including local and international information, peer reviewed research and research conducted at OTARC, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia (funded by DHS, Victoria).

Please note, while this information is designed to support autistic students, a lot of the information and resources also apply to students with other neurodiverse variations. There are separate sections for students and parents/carers. In the "Resources for Universities" there is material for university staff. The sections have been tailored to best meet the needs of each group.

We use 'university' as a generic term referring to tertiary providers including universities, colleges and vocational training providers (and, for Australia: TAFEs).
Click the group you best identify with to access the relevant materials.

2. TRANSITION TO UNIVERSITY - RESOURCES FROM 'STAIRWAY TO STEM'

Stairway to STEM is an organization, based in the United States, that provides resources to autistic students, their families, and tertiary instructors. The goal of Stairway to STEM is to improve awareness of academic STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs and careers. Stairway to STEM supports students as they transition to university and then to the world of work. Below we have curated a number of resources for Students and Parents/Carers.

College Autism Spectrum is a U.S.-based organisation run by higher education professionals who all have experience working with neurodivergent students and students with other learning and developmental differences. This is a great resource for students as they transition to university and then on to work. CAS offers different support services to students and their parents, including guidance throughout the college search and admission processes, career counselling and support for the transitions to university and to the world of work.

In addition, to assist with the college search process, CAS has compiled a list of universities with descriptions of their neurodiversity programs.

College Autism Network is a U.S.-based non-profit organization committed to improving the likelihood of autistic students attending and graduating from a post-secondary institution and to better the student experience and post-graduation outcomes.

Are you starting the college search process? The link below is a list of post-secondary institutions that have neurodiversity programs. It lists universities/ colleges (in the U.S.) by region and mentions the different neurodiversity programs that schools have. While it does not mention every institution, it is still a good resource as you begin your college search.

5. STUDENT CHECKLISTS

The "On Your Marq" Program at Marquette University has developed the following checklists for use by its students during their initial period at university. These may be of assistance to students at other colleges or universities.

6. "BE YOUR BEST" LIFE SKILLS AND WORK-READY SKILLS TRAINING

"Be Your Best" is an educational curriculum of materials to support life skills learning within neurodiverse populations in their transition to study and transition to work. The materials are evidence-based, researched topics with therapeutic aims for engaged learning. Some of the topics covered include organizational skills, cooking and health and presentation skills.

These materials can be undertaken individually or in a group. Groups could include interest groups at universities or in the work place. For groups, there is also a facilitator's guide available to support the learning objectives.

COVID-19. We understand this is a trying time for everyone, so we have compiled some great resources, activities and thought-provoking text to help you navigate this crisis with greater ease. The "Lockdown survival pack" will suit both adults (18+) and parents with children aged 12-17. We have plenty of relevant activities and interesting texts in this mini course.

Follow the link to the learning platform where you can access these great course materials.

7. MONEYBASICS COURSE

Learn the basics to managing your money.
WHY DO THIS COURSE?

Learn about budgeting and managing everyday expenses

Grow more confident in your money matters

Gain knowledge through additional resources

8. GUIDE TO EMPLOYER EXPOS

Employer Expos or Career Fairs can be daunting events for many students and job seekers. This guide aims to provide you with the information and tools necessary for success before, during and after the event.

Contents include:

What to expect at the event, and how to best prepare for it

Tips to ensure your personal well-being during the event and a tool to use when interacting with an employer

Best strategies for following-up with employer representatives / companies

This guide is provided in LANDSCAPE format for viewing on desktops or laptops and in PORTRAIT format for viewing on smartphones, tablets or for printing.

9. lived experience videos from autistic students

B. NEURODIVERSITY WELLNESS: LINKS TO SOME GREAT COVID-19 RESOURCES

Below is a link to the Stanford University Neurodiversity Project - Neurodiversity Wellness page - with some great resources to navigate through the uncertainty of COVID-19.

This includes a webinar from Dr Janie Hong: "Life Interrupted - Managing Stress and Anxiety during a Global Pandemic".

11. "GROUNDING EXERCISE" BOOKLET

This booklet provides a simple exercise that may help calm you when you're feeling overwhelmed or if you are going to panic.

The PDF can be printed and folded into an 8-page booklet. Firstly, it needs to be printed out in "landscape" and "full size" / "actual size". The instructions on how to fold it can be found in this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/21qi9ZcQVto or view folding instructions below.

13. MATERIALS FOR SUCCESS IN THE WORKPLACE

14. LIVED EXPERIENCE ESSAYS

Some great essays on lived experience from neurodiverse individuals.

F. Also the following tip sheets developed specifically for ADHDers - in collaboration with Dr Rebecca Flower (lecturer in psychology and early career autism researcher, who has ADHD)

17. mapology guides - ILLUSTRATED SELF-HELP MAPS FOR LIFE'S JOURNEY

These unique illustrated and colourful self-help maps from Mapology Guides are inspiring! The founder is passionate about mental health and well-being and the maps really speak to this mission. All the fold-out maps offer beautiful imagery, thoughtful prose and reflective learning. They can help you navigate the tricky parts of your life, including how to "Grow your No", explore anger and uncertainty, solve problems, find answers and help you manage overthinking. Great for visual learners and those of you who like to engage your mind through creativity. Mapology Guides is worth a visit! https://www.mapologyguides.com/

Diversity and Ability (DnA) is an award-winning UK based disabled-led social enterprise, that has put together a page of accessibility resources including:

Reviews of useful inclusive technologies to support learning and working

Study skills handouts for students

Various guides such as 'Getting Support in the Workplace'.

The resources have been collated by DnA's diverse team of end-users with their own lived experiences of disability and neurodiversity. DnA supports disabled and neurodiverse people in higher education and the workplace to overcome any barriers they may be facing. DnA also supports organisations to be more inclusive and harness the value of diversity. With a commitment to social justice issues, DnA is also tackling issues surrounding recurring homelessness linked to neurodiversity and the disability employment gap. DnA is convinced that the celebration of diversity coupled with authentic strategies enables people not just to survive, but truly thrive.

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Neurodiversity Resources For Students - Neurodiversity Hub - Neurodiversity Hub

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Neurodiversity Hub aims for businesses to welcome neurodivergent students, to recognise and promote their strengths, and be aware of their unique needs.

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https://www.amazon.com/Managing-Meltdowns-S-C-R-D/dp/1843109085

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In a chaotic or threatening situation, fear is the primary emotional response of an autistic individual. Often the initial physical response is to freeze. 'Meltdowns', or brain overloads can be scary for the individual with autism, and for the person trying to help if they don't know how to react in this situation. Common coping strategies, such as hand flapping or leg shaking, can be misperceived as being wilful, noncompliant, and uncooperative; and some techniques commonly recommended during times of distress or crisis, such as maintaining eye contact or using light touch, can be counter-productive rather than providing relief.

Using the easy-to-remember acronym S.C.A.R.E.D, coined by clinical psychologist Will Richards, this guide offers strategies and practical techniques that will be a valuable reference tool to anyone in a first response position. The authors have created a training programme to explain the autistic experience and mindset, and guide the interventions of first responders to autistic individuals in crisis.

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Managing Meltdowns: Using the S.C.A.R.E.D. Calming Technique with Children and Adults with Autism

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Managing Meltdowns: Using the S.C.A.R.E.D. Calming Technique with Children and Adults with Autism [Deborah Lipsky, Will Richards] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Managing Meltdowns: Using the S.C.A.R.E.D. Calming Technique with Children and Adults with Autism

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For faithful listeners in Ireland and ever-increasing numbers around the world, The Blindboy Podcast has become part of their weekly ritual, with new episodes every Wednesday morning providing a relaxed and grounding listening experience.

The show can veer anywhere from lively and entertaining interviews, to responsible and well-informed mental-health check-ins, to his infamous 'hot-takes' - deep-dives on subjects of social and cultural importance, as well as the surreal stories that can emerge from their history.

This morning's episode, 'Intrapersonally Speaking', released via Acast and other podcasting platforms, was a deeply personal one, as the musician and writer revealed his recent diagnosis of autism.

Discussing storytelling as a device to address mental health as per last week's episode of the show, and the power of language on people's internal dialogue, he segued into making the disclosure.

"If you've been listening to this podcast for the last few weeks, you'll know that I currently am undergoing an assessment for autism. I have lots of neurodivergent listeners, and they've flagged with me that certain aspects of how I speak about things, or relate to the world, reminds them of their own autism.

"I got my diagnosis at the weekend, and I am, in fact, autistic, which is quite a lot to take on board, to be honest."

Blindboy at It Takes A Village 2021. Pic: Karen M. Edwards

He went on to address the process of diagnosis, and his immediate feelings upon receiving confirmation of his diagnosis.

"The thing with diagnosis, is that the irrational part of my brain is like, 'I'm after 'getting' autism', when, in fact, what's happened is, someone has just given me a new word to describe how I've been my whole life.

"I've been autistic my whole life, since I was born, I'm just finding it out now in my 30s. It's very challenging to receive new information like that."

Over the following 90 minutes, the best-selling writer went on to explore his feelings on how an autism diagnosis affects one's established sense of self, and the process of revisiting one's own past, in two parts.

In the first part, he addressed his childhood, formative experiences and education, where he discussed how his interests manifested themselves in a love of music and science,and how communication barriers presented challenges in educational and social environments;

In the second, he discussed his adult life, where finding his own space in art, music and podcasting helped him in his personal life, and how coping mechanisms and mentall-health techniques acquired in therapy informed his interest, and later study, of psychology.

He also alluded to his own learning process on the topic, and resolved to invite autism experts onto the show in due course. "From a position of best practice, professionalism and compassion, the same degree of safety I put in place when I have someone come on and discusses mental illness, mental health," he said.

The Blindboy Podcast is available on and other streaming services.

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'I am, in fact, autistic': Blindboy Boatclub reveals autism diagnosis on his podcast

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For faithful listeners in Ireland and ever-increasing numbers around the world, The Blindboy Podcast has become part of their weekly ritual, with new episodes every Wednesday morning providing a relaxed and grounding listening experience.

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If you are struggling with workplace discrimination, sexual harassment or unemployment claims, an employment lawyer can help you understand and take steps to protect your rights.

For as little as $29.95/month, a provider lawyer will speak to you about your situation, provide legal advise and much more.

Legal Protection for
Employment Law Matters

Your legal personal plan allows you to contact your provider lawyer to get support with any personal employment law issue and 24/7 emergency assistance is included for covered legal emergencies.

Finance

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Paid time off and overtime

Disability claims

Fair Treatment

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Unsafe working conditions

Worker's compensation

Disputes

Family Medical Leave Act

Court cases and hearings

Unlawful termination

Employment contracts

End Workplace Harassment
and Discrimination

If you have been the victim of discrimination or are currently experiencing any form of harassment at your place of work, you should contact an employment lawyer. You don't deserve and don't have to put up with that type of treatment.

At the very least, a provider lawyer can provide legal guidance you can use to properly document abuse, file complaints correctly and receive immediate relief. Should circumstances require a higher level of support, LegalShield's provider lawyers can review relevant documents, make a phone call or even write a letter on your behalf.

A LegalShield membership provides affordable access to provider lawyers who can help solve difficult employment problems.

Get the Money and Benefits You're Entitled To

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Is it 'autistic person' or 'person with autism'?

How many autistic people are also LGBT+?

Has ABA improved in recent years?

Do parents of autistic people wish for a cure?

Do autistic people feel empathy or not?

With a subject as broad (and historically misunderstood) as autism, it's important to build an accurate and meaningful consensus about important topics. With this in mind, I ran a survey which intended to establish current attitudes towards a variety of autism-related issues, gathering opinions and experiences from a wide range of people - autistic people, parents/caregivers of autistic relatives, professionals working with autistic clients, and those with no direct link to autism.

Over eleven-thousand people answered the survey - two thirds of whom were autistic themselves - and in this article I will present their perspectives.

A few important things:

You are absolutely welcome to take screenshots of this article and share them wherever you see fit. (I had to disable copy/pasting on this site several years ago, when my other articles were being stolen literally every day.)

With that said, there is this publicly visible Dropbox link which contains all the graphs on this page.

Some graphs will be tough to read, but clicking on them reveals the full image.

As with all my articles, every link you click will open in a new tab/window so it won't interrupt your reading.

It's important that I acknowledge the following and thank them for their assistance with this survey:

1. The 11,212 respondents who took time out of their day to contribute to the survey's enormous data set.

2. Saided DePriest, for translating the entire survey into Spanish so it could reach a wider range of people.

3. A certain high-profile British academic in the field of autism, for sharing his feedback about the survey before its release - albeit in a personal capacity as opposed to granting official ethics approval, hence his anonymity here. (And before anyone asks, his initials were not SBC.)

4. Christine Jenkins, an autistic academic and consultant, for providing useful feedback before the survey's release.

5. And the members of Autistic Not Weird's Patreon supporters' group on Facebook, for their feedback too. The group is such a safe place to make mistakes and I'm deeply grateful for the supportive community it is.

On a similar note, I should mention that I worked on this survey entirely in a personal capacity, as opposed to being given any research grants.
Meaning, of course, that I did this for free.
(Yes, it's a bit ridiculous. And as an autistic academic said to me during her feedback, "I have never seen this level of effort done by one person.")

I'm an autistic advocate by trade, and am only able to advocate professionally through the power of online support. So if anyone believes this survey is worth a cup of coffee, please do consider supporting me via Ko-Fi.

For those who want to support me in the long run (in exchange for specific rewards/thank-yous - not least bonus content, and membership of the awesome group mentioned above!) please consider supporting me via Patreon as this is largely how I make my living as an autistic advocate.

And once again, to those who are already supporting me - both financially and in terms of my wellbeing (or both at the same time, since my Patreon supporters are directly funding my therapy!) - thank you as always.

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Here are the links to each specific section, for those visiting this page looking for one particular topic.
About this survey
Life experiences of autistic people | Life experiences of parents/caregivers

Accessibility | Diagnostic pathways (and therapy)

The divide in the autism community | Intersectionality
Traits, co-occurring conditions and stressors
Attitudes towards autism | Vaccines | Language choices

Experiences of professionals | ABA | The cure question | Empathy
The TL;DR conclusions
So, let's begin.

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This survey is an updated version of the one I ran in 2018, and since autism understanding is so rapidly evolving I felt it worth repeating the survey with more refined questions.

And, as with last time, I want to clarify with this survey is and what it isn't.

This article IS NOT intended to be a Gospel-truth representation of everyone associated with autism. 11,212 respondents may be enormous, and it covers an extreme range of people (in terms of geography, personal/professional backgrounds, connection to autism), but even then, it's impossible for an online survey to totally cover a population as vast as the worldwide autism community.

This article IS intended to be an honest representation of the respondents' attitudes to (and experiences of) autism.

This article IS NOT intended to be an academic paper and certainly not a PhD dissertation, although I'm reliably told that the data I collected could potentially lead to a paper if I were to take it further.

This article IS intended to be a straightforward analysis and interpretation of the data I have been given: as readably, clear, simple and accurate as I can make it.

And finally, this article IS NOT intended to be flawless and unquestionable. There are a few limitations that I'm already aware of, and probably others that I am not. For example, there was no practical way of enabling parents to fill out the parent/caregiver section multiple times for multiple children. There were smaller issues too, like option omissions (e.g. forgetting to list 'echolalia' as a trait option). There's also technically no way to prevent fraudulent answers - and there isn't in most surveys - but honestly, I believe the sheer number of respondents means that if there are any fraudulent answers, they've made a negligible difference to the data.

Now onto some questions that most people will skip past but they're important for context: who answered the survey?

First, location. The geographical spread of respondents was largely what I expected, given the reach of the survey. And as low as the numbers are from non-Anglophonic countries, the prevalence of respondents from Spanish-speaking parts of the world was significantly boosted by the translated version.

No huge surprises regarding the ages of the respondents, including the data in the legend here which details what percentage of each group were autistic.

(Of course, I don't think it's reasonable to conclude anything about increased diagnostic rates among the young here. The enormous percentage of autistic children and teenagers is likely due to their parents or teachers asking them to be involved, while non-autistic young people wouldn't have had the same encouragement).

As with the 2018 version, men are underrepresented in this survey - even outnumbered by the non-binary respondents. With that said, there's been some level of research indicating that men are less likely to take part in studies (according to a study!). Further reading here.

The men and non-binary respondents in this data were overwhelmingly more likely to be autistic, leaving the non-autistic respondents to be just as disproportionately female.

The purpose of this question was to mitigate accusations of bias: after all, the more widespread your pool of respondents, the more reliable your data is. Data from one source is generally poor. (For example, after each of the 2020 presidential debates, pro-Republican news outlets were very quick to declare that " 97% of Americans believe Trump won the debate! " since that was how their specific audience voted in the polls they ran.)

This survey does not appear to have this problem: I can say unambiguously that the majority of respondents did not find the survey through Autistic Not Weird. (In the 2018 survey it was 49.8% to 49.8% - rather hilariously, the 0.4% of people leaving the question blank ensured that both "yes" and "no" were each a minority!)

There is, of course, still some curiosity as to how I managed to get so many respondents to this survey. My methods included:

Plenty of shares on Autistic Not Weird's many platforms (largely Facebook and Instagram);

Posting in wider groups and hashtags beyond my own platforms, in places largely populated by autistic people and/or their relatives;

Encouraging readers in both the above to share with their wider networks (largely friends and colleagues, occasionally their children too).

This time round, autistic people are the outright majority in this survey.

The percentages don't count for much because the questions usually differentiate between autistic and non-autistic respondents, but I have to admit it was very satisfying to see autistic people share their perspectives in such large numbers. (What particularly struck me was that almost 20% of respondents were autistic parents/caregivers of autistic relatives.)

And if you're interested, 519 people clicked "yes" to all three sections, which means nearly 5% of respondents were autistic parents of autistic children who work with autistic clients!

There were also 493 respondents who did not say "yes" to being autistic, or to being a parent/caregiver, or to working professionally with autistic people (this 493 includes those who said they were "not sure" whether they or their relative were autistic). These respondents are as close to representing the general population as this survey is able to, so I will use them as a 'neutral' group for comparison once in a while.

OK, let's dive into the results.

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First of all, a result that appears to correct a huge misconception.

Historically, autism awareness campaigns (not least charity fundraisers) have always made the underlying assumption that autistic people don't like being autistic. It surprised even me that this was only true for 12% of this survey's 7,491 autistic respondents.

The obvious counterargument from those with anti-autism sentiments - an argument that's likely to be used for a number of results in this article - is that "this survey is only representative of 'high-functioning' autistic people and not those with learning difficulties".

So to address this, I made the graph on the right. After isolating the autistic respondents who listed "academic learning difficulties" among their autistic traits... I found that the results are nearly-but-not-quite as pro-autism as the general autistic population.

I'd also like to thank one of my students who looked at these graphs and made a thought-provoking comment: that it would be interesting to see an age breakdown of this question to see whether adults felt better about their autism than children (or vice versa).

What I found upon analysing each age bracket was that:

Respondents aged in each decade (20-29, 30-39, etc) had similar results to the above charts, often to within a couple of percentage points of each other.

Teenage respondents (13-19) had results that were so close to the adult categories that no meaningful distinction could be drawn between them.

Child respondents (0-12) had a much more mixed view. Although the sample size was only 32 (a satisfactory size objectively speaking, but miniscule compared to other sections) results were split almost evenly between strongly agreeing and strongly disagreeing. 43.75% agreed to some extent that they liked being autistic, but this was compared to 31.25% who disagreed.

This is not the only time in the survey that autistic teenagers' attitudes were similar to autistic adults'. And the dramatic shift between childhood and adolescence implies to me that the adage coined by autistic advocate Dena Gassner is true:

You don't grow out of autism; you grow into it.

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Now to something that may be less surprising: nearly 90% of autistic respondents knew they were different from an early age. It was one of those rare charts I needed to adjust the y-axis for, indicating how strong the consensus is.

The application of these results depends on the reader and their circumstances, but one of my personal takeaways is that those who say

I don't want to tell my child they're autistic in case it makes them feel different

are 90% likely to be parenting a child who already feels different.

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And on a similar note...

Again, nearly 90% agreed that learning about their autism had been a positive event.

The same people I mentioned in the previous chart, who fear their relative may have a negative emotional reaction to the news that they're autistic, may only have their fears realised less than 5% of the time.

-

Of course, as much as autistic people like being autistic, this doesn't suggest there are no difficulties attached to it. In fact, less than 6% of autistic respondents reported autism not making their life more difficult, and a majority said their neurology was a factor in their life's difficulties.

But a much, much larger majority claimed that wider society's attitude towards autism made their life difficult. Which is quite revealing.

-

For the next question - the perennial issue of autistic isolation - I've compared this survey's results to the 2018 version.
(You may notice I removed the blank answers from the data on this occasion: this is because 11% of non-autistic respondents left this question blank in 2018, perhaps thinking the question wasn't intended for them. Since 11% skews the appearance enormously, I decided to only display non-blank answers for a more meaningful comparison.)
Although there's little difference among the autistic respondents (besides a very small sway towards disagreement), the 'neutral' categories seem to have collectively become more decisive on the matter in the last four years.

One thing's for sure though: the levels of isolation among the autistic community remain present, and need to be addressed.

Of course, these results should be seen in the context of the COVID pandemic. The data was collected at the tail-end of 2021, when much of the world was still reeling from lockdown (including the countries where lockdown had ended). This may be a factor in the 'neutral' category also agreeing more than disagreeing.

-

And on that note...

I couldn't help but smile at the irony I noticed in these results: that the 'neutral' category - representing the general population - should theoretically be perfectly balanced for this question. But on average, they felt they'd found it ' easier than most people ' on average. Despite the difficulties of lockdown, the general population seems to have the general consensus that "most" others had it worse than they did.

Looking solely at the shape of the chart, it looks like the only difference between the two groups is the level of disagreement. But when you look closer, you notice that nearly twice as many autistic people strongly agreed than the 'neutral' group.

-

Next up, education and work.

Given that the mainstream education system - like the wider world in general - has largely been designed with the non-autistic majority in mind, it comes as no surprise that the autistic respondents' collective school experience is so negative here. (One would imagine that the "Asperger's genius" stereotype would make school easy for a lot of autistic people, but only 1.64% strongly agreed with school being a positive experience for them - roughly one in sixty autistic people.)

Sadly, even the argument that school has become better for the current generation of autistic students does not appear to hold weight... as shown by the 0-19 age group answering with close-to-identical results.

Of course, as a follower pointed out to me, a part of it could be due to bullying from their peers rather than the system not accommodating them. Either way, as a teacher myself, this lack of difference between generations both surprised and saddened me. We have a long way to go.

(The limitation to this question is that it doesn't specify what type of school the respondents went to. In another four years or so, no doubt I'll make sure this is addressed by a new survey.)

-

Beyond school, I found another surprising set of results: the close match between those who have struggled to find employment and those who have struggled to retain it.

It's important to make a point here about reading statistics. Just because the charts look similar does not necessarily mean that most respondents chose the same option twice. There will inevitably be respondents who easily find jobs but struggle to retain them, and those who struggle to find employment but once they're employed they stay for their whole careers.

In fact, I decided to analyse this data more specifically. Please forgive my lack of pretty chart work here, but I felt on this occasion the Excel document did the trick.

Turns out 4,584 respondents (61.19% of the total) struggled with finding and/or retaining employment.

2,674 respondents (30.70% of the total) struggled with both.

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So once we get jobs, do we get accommodated?

Generally speaking, no.

Although the situation appears to be noticeably better for autistic people who work with autistic students/clients. Perhaps their colleagues are more likely to understand autistic people's needs, or feel more motivated to treat autistic people with compassion. (Anecdotally, this has been the case for me as an autistic teacher in an autism-specific school.)

-

Now for a very clear and unambiguous result:

Masking is an enormous problem for autistic people in general (as implied above, where over 80% of autistic people feel the need to mask in front of non-autistic people!). However, the general wisdom of the autistic community seems to be validated here: that life is better once you find your kind. Over half of autistic respondents disagreed about masking in front of other autistic people, with barely over 20% feeling the need to mask in front of autistic neurokin.

-

The stereotype says that autistic people are less likely to be religious. Atheists may claim it's due to 'more logical thinking', while people of faith may claim it's a 'lack of imagination'. Both views are stereotyped and ableist, in my opinion.

One limitation here was that the question focuses specifically on religion, rather than a general belief in any deities. (There will likely have been respondents who believed in a god - or gods - but clicked 'disagree'/'strongly disagree' because they didn't belong to any established religious body.)

Besides this, there are a number of factors at work here, and whereas autism does appear to be one of them, it is not the only one.

The biggest factor appears to be geography, but there were noticeable differences among each category explored here. Being an under-30 autistic non-binary Australian doesn't exactly guarantee that you'll be non-religious, but it certainly seems to indicate the probability of it.

From my personal perspective as an autistic Christian (and an asexual man too), I am particularly saddened by the LGBT+ columns. To any other people of faith reading this, we need to do a lot more to ensure that the LGBT+ population are not alienated from the love of God. The arguments applied to why autistic people are less religious do not apply to those of differing sexualities, and the discrepancy is most likely explained by the way they are treated by religious folk. I speak to both groups as one of your own, when I say that we (the LGBT+ community) deserve better, and we (the religious community) need to do better with the whole compassion thing.

-

And the last chart for this section:

Thanks to the suggestion of Christine Jenkins (mentioned in the acknowledgements), I included a question about ageing - a topic which Jenkins rightly points out that there is a distinct lack of research for.

I've distinguished the answers of the autistic respondents aged 50+ (brown) and all autistics combined (blue). Just as interesting as the immediately visible results (e.g. finances being the biggest worry) are the differences between the age groups: those over fifty appear less worried about accommodation and finances than their younger counterparts, but substantially more worried about losing their personal autonomy.

-

This may be the end of the "autistic life experiences" section, but rest assured there is plenty more to come from those 7,491 respondents. The topics not covered here can be found later in this write-up, nestled into more specific categories (e.g. ABA or vaccines).

In the meantime, we move on to the parents and caregivers.

-

As with the previous section, most questions involving parent/caregiver-specific answers are spread across the rest of this article. Very little of this survey was parent-exclusive, but here are the bits that were.

First off, some context:

As indicated by the bottom-left chart, the section may be for "parents/caregivers", but more than 19 in every 20 were parents (of course, many of them will have ticked other boxes too).

One unfortunate limitation to this survey was that naturally there will be some respondents who (for example) ticked "my spouse" solely because their spouse was autistic, and others who did not because they were not literally their spouse's caregiver. There aren't many questions in this survey which could be flexibly interpreted, but this was as close as it got.

Another limitation, as specified earlier, was that parents could only fill out this section once, which may have proved tricky for parents with multiple autistic children with varying needs. But perhaps this problem isn't as significant as I predicted, given that nearly two thirds of parents/caregivers only have one relative in mind when answering.

Oh, and one major irritant was the eight respondents (almost all of them professionals) who inaccurately ticked the box claiming to be parents/caregivers even though they weren't.

Through my trawling through the results (yes, I was this intensive with it, and I do have autistic-level attention to detail), I was able to find these eight and exclude them from the parent/caregiver data set. Thankfully they were only found on Day Three of my analysis, so any errors already embedded in my analysis were easily weeded out.

Obviously, I left their other answers (the ones outside of the parent/caregiver section) entirely intact.

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Anyway, let's move on to school experiences.

Mixed, but not as overwhelmingly negative as one might suspect. (Again, the limitation here is that it was difficult to tell which type of schools their children went to.)

Of course, it's still quite damning that 46.62% of parents did not think their child's school knew how to support them. It's not quite as damning as the National Autistic Society's own research from 2021 though, which indicates that

44% [of parents] feel their child's special educational needs are not being met in general, [and] three quarters (74%) said their child's school place did not fully meet their needs - this has almost doubled since 2017.

It's interesting to compare these results with the opinions of autistic respondents aged 0-19, and see how well the parents and children's opinions matched up. You probably noticed earlier how negative the young autistic respondents were towards their school experience. However, others may make the argument that "autistic students without the cognitive skills to complete a survey may be having their needs met better in school".

As someone who has worked in two schools that provide for such students though... it may be more likely but I would not take it for granted.

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According to the stereotypes, often put in place by autism-negative charities in decades gone by, having an autistic child generally causes all sorts of hardships including unemployment and divorce. No doubt it occasionally is a factor in these things - and this survey did not ask questions about marital status - but it's not as strong as some would have you believe.

Having an autistic family member had a negative impact to at least some extent for 38.94% of parent/caregiver respondents, but not for 43.61%.

Like several questions in this survey though, I wish I'd asked this question to parents of non-autistic children, to see what the 'baseline' was for the impact of parenting on employment opportunities.

Yes, like I said, the parent-exclusive section is short. Now we're going into the specific topics - the first being:

-

I asked the question " how accessible have you found __________ " to all respondents, so I could compare the autistic people's responses to the general population.

Side note: in this case, I did not use the 'neutral' category to represent the general population (since this would have excluded professionals unnecessarily - for the purposes of the accessibility question, professionals count as the general population too!). Instead I used 'non-autistic respondents without autistic relatives', to represent the population whose personal lives were not directly influenced by autism.

Anyway, this is what they said.
(Once again, I've removed the blank answers from this data in order to give a clearer picture. More than 10% of the non-autistic respondents left the questions blank, presumably thinking the accessibility section didn't apply to them, and this made the wider percentages difficult to compare visually.)
Some observations.

School: almost double the percentage of autistic respondents strongly disagreed with school being accessible compared to the general population, and barely half the percentage strongly agreed.

Healthcare services: excepting the 'neither' category, all four columns indicate that healthcare services are easier to access if you're non-autistic.

Public places: besides a six percentage point jump in 'strongly disagree', there was not as much difference between the two groups as some would predict.

Community groups: more than double the percentage of autistic respondents strongly disagreed with community groups being accessible compared to the general population, and only between a third and a half strongly agreed.

And interestingly, more of the general population disagreed than agreed in three out of four categories, with school being a very narrow exception.

It looks like accessibility is an issue for all of us - just autistic people disproportionately.

Next up: accessibility regarding autism diagnoses.

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You may have noticed at the start, but this survey recognises both diagnosed and non-diagnosed autistic people as autistic. (There's a question later which specifically considers the question of self-identification. In the meantime though, I would argue that I was just as autistic while I was seeking a diagnosis as I was once I received it, so the experiences of non-diagnosed autistic people was absolutely worth collecting.)

For context, let's analyse diagnosis levels among the autistic respondents.

Honestly, I have no way of knowing whether this is representative of the autistic population in general. But I felt it important to provide this chart to pre-empt an argument that I predict some people may use, because sadly I see it across the internet already from a small (but harmful) minority of people: the argument that "the autism and neurodiversity movements are just a load of undiagnosed pretenders hijacking autism advocacy".

I have never seen any empirical evidence for that claim, which I've only seen used by people who are blatantly trying to gatekeep autism (and ironically, it's rarely autistic people ourselves doing this). All I know is that self-identifying autistic people with no intention of getting a diagnosis made less than 1 in 6 autistic respondents here - the majority being diagnosed, and three quarters either having a diagnosis or seeking one.

But what interests me most is the 6.65% (almost exactly 1 in 15) who were unable to get a diagnosis. The sad truth is, accessibility of diagnosis is quite a privilege in many areas (hence why there are so many people self-identifying as autistic).

So I decided to dig further.

There was a distinct geographic split, even bearing in mind the low sample sizes from Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Not all of this will be due to lack of diagnostic opportunities; some of it will be down to post-diagnostic discrimination, or even safety reasons. (One high-profile example is the controversy with 'Barnevernet' - Norwegian social services - who are devastatingly more likely to remove a child from their parents in general, but especially if they have an autism diagnosis.)

As a British autistic person, it was at least encouraging to see that the UK and Ireland were a region where diagnosis was an option for the vast majority of autistic people.

-
(Blanks were once again removed here, as respondents were encouraged to skip the question if the diagnostic pathway didn't apply to them.)
I also decided to compare the diagnostic experiences of autistic respondents to parents/caregivers of autistic relatives. (For those who were both, they are included in both graphs because this question was asked of them twice- once in the section regarding their own experiences, and once in the section regarding their relatives.)

There's not much of a noticeable difference between the two groups here, other than the parents/caregivers being considerably more likely to agree or disagree rather than choose 'neither'. But leaving differences aside, both groups had a near-majority or outright majority believing that the diagnostic pathway was not accessible.

Obviously I dug deeper again, to see whether some groups found the pathway more accessible than others. The main areas I looked into were gender and disability.

It would appear that in a diagnosis context, it's easier to be a man and hardest to be non-binary.

It's also easier to get a diagnosis if you're non-disabled, although apparently not by much.

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And what about beyond diagnosis?

The stories I've heard (and my own experience too) about receiving a diagnosis and then being ejected with no follow-up support do seem to represent the general experience, among both adult and child recipients of diagnoses.

(You may notice the 8 percentage point jump in parents/caregivers clicking "agree". Note, however, that both disagreement columns went up by roughly 3 percentage points - in fact, the near-halving of the "neither" column has resulted in increases in all other columns to some extent.)

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OK, onto therapy.

Before going any further, we should be careful before attempting to compare the two charts - the main reason I split them was to avoid blending all the results together and making the overall picture less clear.

I strongly suspect that the differences are due to which age groups each intervention is aimed at. For example, CBT is generally given to adults (sometimes adolescents), whilst ABA and floortime are generally delivered to children (and were less prolific during autistic adults' childhood years).

Going by the data, it appears that the pro-ABA argument of "most autistic people complaining against it haven't actually been through it" is a technically accurate argument. There are, however, two counter-arguments: first that personal experience shouldn't always be a prerequisite for a valid opinion (for example, you don't have to be a murder victim in order to oppose murder), and second... well, read the ABA section later on to see what those 341 people had to say.

In the meantime... what conclusions can we draw? Well, a lot of the interesting feedback came from the "other (please specify)" option, filled in by 1,071 respondents (yes, this question took a while to process meaningfully).

Some general points:

Dozens of people (both autistic respondents and their relatives) didn't know the specific title of their therapy, or just wrote "normal therapy", "counselling" or "psychologist".

Inpatient treatment was not an option in the survey, but several referenced experiencing it.

Several autistic respondents were trained ABA-style by their own parents.

Several respondents had their own creative, family or faith-based outlets as a therapy substitute. (However, three had negative or even abusive experiences with interventions put in place by religious organisations.)

Specific comments of interest included:

"Therapies are inaccessible for me."

"Starting as a child aged 9 I've been heavily medicated as my main treatment."

"Counselling through online gaming [for my child]."

"Neurodiversity affirmative psychotherapy and coaching." (Three wrote comments like this.)

"Need to note that we DEEPLY regret subjecting our child to ABA." (Eight people wrote comments like this, and another respondent commented to claim their ABA was "highly modified with no abusive elements".)

Ok, a tough one coming up next:

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Autism advocacy is not a safe and harmless scene, I'm sorry to say. There are frequent arguments and fierce divisions - the most high-profile of which are usually between autistic adults and parents of autistic children.

The toxicity ranges from parents telling autistic adults they're "not really autistic" because they don't appear to struggle enough, to autistic adults claiming the parents don't understand autism because they're not autistic themselves. (I've also heard from autistic adults of autistic children being shunned by both sides.)

But... is it widespread across the whole community, or is it just the loudest voices?

I decided to investigate, and these were the results I found.

Not going to lie - I smiled when I saw the top row of results. For all the arguments we see online, for all the parent advocates who belittle 'high-functioning' autistic people's struggles, for all the autistic people we see being hostile towards parents, for all the people who have had hurtful experiences with others in the community... almost 90% of parents/caregivers value the input of autistic adults - and 60% of them strongly.

When I removed autistic parents from the data, a very similar picture was painted. Almost 85% of non-autistic parents valued the input of autistic adults.
To those in the autistic community who are afraid that we're not being listened to by parents of autistic kids, please be reassured that the statistics indicate differently.
The general consensus is that people very much value autistic voices. But those who don't - perhaps due to negative experiences - appear to be quite vocal about their concerns. This is indicated not just by the "strongly disagree" responses outnumbering the "disagree" responses by at least double, but also be the "other (please specify)" answers in the question about respondents' biggest stressors, where members of both groups referenced treatment by the other as a major stress in their lives.

So who are the 160 people who disagreed with valuing the input of autistic adults, and how do their perspectives compare? Well, looking into it further, 43 of them were autistic themselves (26.88% of the total, which may sound surprising but remember that 45.36% of all parents/caregivers in the survey were autistic).

And, generally speaking, these 160 were:

Marginally more pro-cure (and substantially less strongly against cures)

Substantially against the validity of self-identification/self-diagnosis (more than half disagreed with self-identification, compared to 18% of people in general as you'll see later).

Substantially more likely believe that autism is a negative addition to the human gene pool (30%, compared to only 5% of all respondents) - although exactly 80 of the 160 thought it to be a positive addition.

More likely to be pro-ABA (22% agreeing with its use compared to 6% of all respondents), although the majority still disagreed.

I won't be presumptuous enough to suggest reasons for these trends. All I will say is that yes, there is very evidently a divide in the autism/autistic community... although the statistics indicate it's less severe than we're perhaps led to think.

Meanwhile, let's consider the bottom charts - the question to autistic respondents about whether non-autistic parents have a valuable place in the discussion - where the answers hold much less of a consensus. Those who agreed marginally outnumbered those who disagreed, including when autistic parents were excluded from the sample, but the welcome looks lukewarm by comparison.

In my experience, autistic people would argue that disagreeing with this statement does not come from hatred, but from the general concept of " nothing about us without us". Self-advocacy is becoming much more prolific in all areas of the disability community and it's no longer acceptable for autistic voices to not be front and centre in the discussion (try running an autism conference without a single autistic speaker nowadays).

But for those curious about the perspective of those who strongly disagreed, they were:

Significantly more likely to have had bad experiences at school (82%, compared to 71% of all autistic respondents)

Significantly more likely to be in favour of self-identification (78% believing that a diagnosis is not necessary to identify as autistic, compared to 64% of all autistic respondents)

Similar opinions to other autistics in terms of autism's positive impact on the gene pool, but stronger

Marginally less likely to have religious faith (72% disagreeing compared to 66% of all autistics)

Surprisingly, more likely to disagree that the public doesn't understand autism (5% versus 1.5%, although 92% still agreed compared to 96%).

It should also be said that the autistic community is very conscious of the stranglehold non-autistic people have had over autism awareness for decades before the neurodiversity movement truly took off. The results here may be contextualised by the fact that the role of non-autistic parents has recently been demoted from 'head of discussion' to 'contributor'.

Nonetheless, even without this context in mind, I don't look at the bottom two graphs and see hatred.

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Intuitively it seems obvious that autistic people are more likely to be disabled, and anecdotally it often appears like autistic people are more likely to be LGBT+.

But this survey exists because intuition and anecdotal evidence just aren't enough. So here, have some statistics.

A majority of autistic respondents identified as disabled, suggesting that a lot of autistic people may disagree with the well-intentioned mantra of " autism isn't a disability- it's a different ability ". (Of course, the survey didn't specify 'disabled by autism', so several respondents may be disabled for reasons unrelated to autism - or co-occurring conditions which are saliently linked with autism.)

It's also noticeable that a high proportion of autistic people - more than 1 in 6 autistic respondents - are trans. A statistic as significant as this, in my mind, is something that needs to be remembered when we talk about meeting the needs of the wider autistic population.

Besides that, an extra surprise was that the proportion of LGBT+ autistic people appears to significantly outnumber the proportion of heterosexual autistic people. (I cannot think of any reason to doubt the accuracy of my data collection here, despite how outlandish it sounds.) On that note, here's a breakdown of the sexuality question.

The graph speaks for itself (although I do wonder whether excluding parents of autistic children from the right-hand graph eliminated most parents in general from the data pool - parents being understandably more likely to be heterosexual - thus overrepresenting the LGBT+ representation in the general population.)

But the really interesting details (as with plenty of other questions) came in the "other" section.

One of the most common criticisms of this survey was that respondents could only choose one sexuality option. As a man who's asexual and absolutely nothing else, it surprised me how many people wrote that they were pansexual and asexual (just to give one of many examples). It was a learning curve for me as a member of the LGBT+ autistic community too, as I didn't even realise sexuality could work that way.

Among the other section, the results included (among many others):

230 people writing "queer" (including responses that elaborated on it)

202 people referencing multiple sexualities (which did not include the word "queer")

126 demisexual (only attracted to those they have an emotional bond with)

106 unsure, don't know or questioning (including the response "How can you identify sexuality, if you have no ability to identify your gender?")

25 specifically saying their sexuality was undefined

16 omnisexual (attracted to those of all gender identities and sexual orientations)

15 gray-sexual (limited attraction but not quite 'traditionally' asexual)

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As with the 2018 survey, I asked respondents what additional conditions they or their autistic relatives had, as well as what general traits they had (drawing a distinction between the two, of course).

Oh, and by the way- you DEFINITELY want to click the picture to see the full-size images on these next charts. (For those who missed that part in the introduction, clicking on this article's graphs does exactly that.)

Starting with conditions:

Both charts show the same data - the grey bars in each simply shows the data of the other, for easy comparison.

Besides the interesting comparisons here (e.g. the huge increase in PSTD diagnoses and the lessened PDA diagnoses in adulthood), there are some striking isolated statistics. For example,

Around 40% of autistic people also have ADHD

Over a third of autistic respondents had PTSD

The majority of autistic adults struggle with depression

And I think it's fair to say that the majority of autistic people (including children) also struggle with anxiety, although this shouldn't be news to anyone.

(As a side note, the question specified "regardless of diagnosis", due to the difficulty of accessing diagnoses for a lot of autistic people and their families. So these figures reflect lived experiences rather than diagnostic rates.)

Answers under "other" with 50+ answers included the following (and yes, in retrospect I should have included them in the options):

C-PTSD (written by 92 autistic respondents and 3 relatives)

POTS including dysautonomia (86 autistics, 7 relatives)

Chronic fatigue including ME (85 autistics, 12 relatives)

Migraines (79 autistics, 9 relatives)

Arthritis/rheumatism (59 autistics, 2 relatives)

Autoimmune conditions including Hashimoto, Sjogren's (53 autistics, 4 relatives)

Dissociation, e.g. DID, DPDR, OSDD (52 autistic, 2 relatives)

Sleep conditions, e.g. DSPS, Insomnia, Sleep Apnea, Narcolepsy (48 autistics, 17 relatives)

Asthma (48 autistics, 12 relatives)

Visual differences (29 autistics, 25 relatives)

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As for traits:
(Two limitations to mention here: some respondents were unsure whether to interpret this as currently having these traits or having them historically, and the percentages for "geekiness" are from English-language respondents only due to a mistranslation in the Spanish survey.)
This graphic may be useful for confirming a lot of what we already know about autistic traits: namely that the vast majority of autistic people experience social difficulties, heightened anxiety, sensory differences, and enthusiasm for special interests.

The comparisons between the two groups are interesting, but consider this: how many of these differences are due to age differences (e.g. addiction), how many are due to differing experiences of autism (e.g. low awareness of danger), and how many are due to what autistic people recognise within themselves that others may not (e.g. autistic people struggling with face blindness without others knowing)?

Answers under "other" with 10+ answers included the following (there were much fewer traits mentioned, possibly due to this question having more exhaustive options):

Aphantasia (written by 23 autistic respondents and 2 relatives)

Memory difficulties (15 autistics and 1 relative)

Interoception (12 autistics and 4 relatives)

Echolalia (10 autistics and 5 relatives)

Strong sense of justice (8 autistics, 2 relatives)

Misophonia (7 autistics, 7 relatives)

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And finally, stressors:

Results from "other" (undifferentiated) with 20+ responses included:

Dating, romance and sex (55 respondents)

Access to healthcare (41)

Finances (32)

Healthcare/health issues unrelated to access (29)

Accessing official support e.g. social care, government (28)

"Everything"/"Life in general" (22)

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Now for some more general questions (and their very revealing answers).

As indicated by the bottom-right graph, the situation does not appear to have changed in our favour in the last four years. There is a case for arguing that the proportion of autistic respondents this time round (66.81% compared to 49.92% in 2018) made a difference in the strength of agreement, but the parents/caregivers barely seemed to feel any differently.

Predictably, the only group to have more than 5% disagreeing were those without any 'official' connection to autism.

(With that said, the 'neutral' category may be less representative of the general population in the questions about attitudes to autism. Even most 'neutral' respondents would likely have completed an autism survey due to some type of connection to autism. So bear that in mind for the other graphs in this section.)

But either way, the short version is that we are not close enough to the general public understanding autism.

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I highlighted these two groups in particular to show the contrast between those with lived experience of autism and those most likely to either diagnose or make referrals to diagnosticians. And whereas almost 1 in 10 non-autistic professionals agreed with this statement, a landslide majority disagreed, even if not as strongly as the autistic population.

I also analysed the responses of the 'neutral' category, and found them to be very similar to the non-autistic professionals - just a couple of percentage points moved from "agree" to "neither". This appears to imply that professionals and the general public were equally aligned (or misaligned) with the beliefs of the autistic community.

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It would appear that both autistic respondents and parents/caregivers are detecting a small shift in whether autism awareness focuses too much on children, with similar percentages to the 2018 survey but agreeing less strongly than before.

I isolated the responses from autistic young people to see if there was an age-related difference in opinion. Interestingly, autistic teenagers had a very similar opinion to autistic respondents in general (predominantly adults).

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Next, 'self-diagnosis' (which I personally refer to as 'self-identification', to avoid people confusing it with a literal diagnosis), which has become a hot topic in the autism community. The two discussion strands that crop up most are autistic people professing that self-identification is valid because of the difficulty (or safety) of getting medical diagnoses, and concerned parents questioning whether the autism acceptance movement is being "hijacked" by those without an official diagnosis.

Our survey said:

Both among diagnosed autistic respondents and non-autistic parents/caregivers, self-identification appears to be generally accepted.

64.7% of autistic respondents with a diagnosis agreed, along with 48.31% of non-autistic parents, compared to 18.19% and 30.53% respectively who disagreed. The agreement appears to be stronger in the autistic community, which I suspect may be due to diagnosed autistics empathising with the undiagnosed (we were all undiagnosed once).

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The results of this give the same impression as the very first statement: "I like being autistic". Contrary to the narrative we'd been fed for decades, autistic people and their families generally do not feel that autism has taken away from their lives (with a substantial minority saying otherwise).

Again, to pre-empt the obvious counterargument that " this doesn't include those poor nonverbal people with learning difficulties ", I've included the (strikingly similar) statistics for that specific group.

Interestingly enough, the strongest disagreement with the statement came from autistic parents/caregivers. I suppose it's more difficult to say that autism has taken away from your life when it's so present in your family.

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These days, there's a fair bit of discussion about what autism actually is. And, according to these (undifferentiated) results, the tide is very much turning against it being considered a disorder, and towards being a neurotype.

(I'm second-guessing my choice to allow respondents to click multiple choices for this one. Some may have only clicked "both", and others may have clicked all three for exactly the same reason. Nonetheless, this question remains very useful for comparing the terms against each other.)

OK, brace yourselves. A controversial topic coming up now.

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According to the headlines, the COVID pandemic appeared to breed a new generation of "anti-vaxxers": those who were sceptical about the effectiveness of vaccines versus their potential damage (a group which are often confused with a wider group of people who were not concerned about the vaccines' effectiveness at all, but questioned the approach various governments took- 'vaccine passports' etc).

But pre-COVID, the anti-vaccination movement was around all the way back in the 1950s when people protested Jonas Salk's polio vaccine and even back in the days of Edward Jenner in the 1800s, but it came to wider international prominence in the late 1990s. This was due to the long-debunked piece of falsified research that gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield published and sought to profiteer from, which resulted in mass public panic about the MMR vaccine and its alleged links to autism, followed by Wakefield having his licence to practise medicine removed by the General Medical Council. (Both sources link to findings published in the British Medical Journal.)

Even though the research was fully and comprehensively debunked, and wider (more reliable) studies have shown no link between vaccines and autism after all, the rumours and scepticism about the topic remain to this day. One wonders whether opposition to the COVID vaccine would have been quite so strong without Wakefield's historical damage to public understanding of immunology.

But when it comes specifically to autism, are the anti-vaccination voices as common as they seem, or are they just disproportionately heard?

Well, this is what the respondents said - and it was the only agree/disagree graph in this article where I had to push the top of the y-axis up to 90%.

No group of people in the above charts had as much as 4% of respondents agreeing with the statement. Almost 90% of the 'neutral' category disagreed, and over 75% strongly. The strongest opposition of course came from autistic respondents, having long been the direct victims of the misinformation which resulted in public fear of autism - and by extension, fear of autistic people existing.

As low as the rate of agreement was, I felt that it was important to see if there were common factors among those who agreed. I checked three factors: age, geography, and religious background.

It would appear that the younger generations are less likely to believe that vaccines cause autism, along with particular geographical regions (although these weren't quite as strong a factor).

I was also curious (speaking as a Christian) about whether religious background played a factor, so I decided to measure the two sets of results against each other. Again, please forgive my lack of pretty chart work here.

A correlation was confirmed, but not quite as strongly as I predicted (and honestly, feared). Outside of the "strongly agree to both" cell, the results look fairly similar between those with religious faith and those who are neutral.

The strongest disagreement about vaccines causing autism came from atheists.

I have to admit, I'm tempted to make some kind of comment here about my fellow faithful needing to do more about the levels of scientific literacy in religious circles. But that's a discussion for another time, and one which covers a wider scope than immunology alone.

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One of the fastest-evolving hot topics in the autism community is that of language choices. (If you look far back enough in my articles here, you're likely to find terminology that was perfectly acceptable in 2015 but is frowned upon today.) Because that's the thing with movements: often standards change too fast for the wider population to keep up with. So here's my 2022 contribution to helping us all keep in sync with the autism acceptance movement.
(The answers from the Spanish translation have sadly needed to be discounted, since an error in the survey disabled the ability to select multiple choices).
One of my biggest regrets about this survey was totally forgetting to involve two increasingly common terms in the question: 'autistics' and 'autists'. These used to be uncommon but their usage is increasing in the autistic community.

Looking at the graph, the most striking part to me is the difference in usage of PFL (Person-First Language, i.e. "person with autism") versus IFL (Identity-First Language, i.e. "autistic person"). Although the ground has shifted substantially since 2018, it appears to be autistic people spearheading the change. For reference, the below graph shows the aforementioned shifts:

Almost every piece of terminology has fallen further out of favour, among autistic and non-autistic respondents alike, except for the fairly straightforward "autistic person" (and arguably "autistics" and "autists" - damn, I wish I'd included those.)

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The next three graphs specifically compare identity-first language (IFL) to person-first language (PFL), as this tends to be the biggest part of the terminology debate.

Before making any further comment, I should specify that although autistic people using PFL are noticeably in the minority these days, self-determination in self-advocacy is deeply important, and those preferring to refer to themselves as 'people with autism' have an unalienable right to do so.

I will, however, be acknowledging the preference of the clear majority of the autistic community while writing this.

Stereotypically, it's supposed to be autistic people advocating for IFL whilst being 'corrected' by non-autistic people who want us to use PFL since it's 'more respectful' to us (when the National Autistic Society changed wholly and uncompromisingly to using IFL, their social media team had to spend months and months responding to well-meaning non-autistic followers attempting to correct them, and I even wrote an article addressing such people here).

But this above graph shows this to be far less of an issue than in previous years. Non-autistic parents and professionals also seem to prefer IFL nowadays, although by a less substantial margin.

And how has this changed in the last four years? Well, like this.

Going solely by the results of these two surveys (although 11,000 respondents per survey is quite a substantial data pool), it appears that the use of PFL has nosedived since 2018. Interestingly, the biggest difference can be seen among non-autistic respondents, perhaps due to them playing catch-up with longer-established opinions among the autistic community.

Also, a thought occurred to me following the 2018 survey that I've been interested to research ever since. General discussion seems to indicate that 'autistic person' is often used as an acceptance of autistic identity, whereas 'person with autism' is often used as an indicator that the person is 'more than' their diagnosis.

So it got me wondering... is there a self-acceptance difference between those who use IFL and those who use PFL?

It would appear so. 70% of "autistic people" liked being autistic, compared to 37% of "people with autism". Only 8% of "autistic people" didn't like being autistic, compared to 29% of "people with autism".

Although far from unanimous, there appears to be a growing argument that describing oneself using identity-first language could be considered a form of self-acceptance.

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The lead-in question was "Do you work with autistic people professionally?", and I clarified in the additional wording that this was NOT meant to include merely having autistic colleagues (or, for example, working in a typical shop where some customers happen to be autistic by coincidence). I only had to exclude a handful of inaccurately filled results, all of which appeared to be genuine errors of understanding rather than visible falsehoods.

As before, some context charts to begin with.
(I should mention that two graphs from now, some respondents who answered with "other" were combined with professions near-identical to what they wrote, for simplicity reasons. This has resulted in a few arithmetical discrepancies later on. Just in case anyone reading this is adding up all the numbers.)
Those in the "other" column with 10+ respondents included:

36 speech therapists/pathologists

31 advocates/consultants

29 support workers

28 coaches

22 non-teaching school staff (including 5 school psychologists)

20 ABA practitioners, BCBAs or related behaviour workers

16 psychologists (including educational/school psychologists)

16 mentors/peer support workers

14 researchers

12 charity workers

12 volunteers

11 librarians

Along with literally hundreds more that didn't combine into groups of 10+. There are a wide range of jobs out there.

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The lead-in question allowed respondents to clarify whether they

1. Did not generally work with autistic students/clients,

2. Worked with a minority of autistic students/clients (e.g. mainstream teaching), or

3. Worked with a majority of autistic students/clients (e.g. autism-specific speech therapy).

The question I thought most important to analyse the groups separately was this:

There are probably more in-depth reasons for the huge differences in enjoyment, but I'd love to think it's simply because autistic people are so much more fun to work with.

To be serious though: in my experience, workplaces that successfully accommodate autistic people tend to be better at accommodating everyone else, including their employees. That, and anecdotally I have noticed that the rewarding moments are substantially more rewarding if the student/client has needed to overcome particular obstacles (e.g. anxious students buying from a shop or those who struggle with speech finding ways to self-advocate).

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A consistent-looking display of a mixed bag. Teachers/educators seemed to be barely different in terms of training to professionals in general, with healthcare workers being noticeably less confident and therapists/psychiatrists being noticeably more. But even then, almost 35% of therapists/psychologists disagreed, so maybe the statistic of over 50% agreeing shouldn't be celebrated prematurely.

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Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) is widely advertised as the "gold standard treatment" for autism, and although developed in America it had taken steps worldwide, despite the controversies involved.

What controversies, exactly? Autistic advocates are quick to point out the increased PTSD rates among autistic children subjected to ABA, the fact that it all too often prioritises 'reduction of autistic behaviours' over meeting an autistic child's wellbeing needs, and that it was developed by Ole Ivar Lovaas, a pioneer in "gay conversion therapy" (leading to widespread accusations that ABA can be compared to "autistic conversion therapy" - a difficult argument to refute given the number of practitioners who aim to extinguish 'autistic behaviours' with the aim of making autistic children 'indistinguishable from their peers').

Nonetheless, ABA continues to be a widely used intervention (and often the only intervention covered by American health insurers), except nowadays it faces a backlash from pro-autism advocates. But again - what does the wider community think underneath all the loud voices?
(Respondents were encouraged to ignore the question if they didn't know what ABA was. The numbers who skipped the question ranged so much between subcategories that I have removed blank answers from all subcategories, for the sake of meaningful comparison.)
It appears that once again, the furore people hear from autistic people online regarding ABA really is representative of the wider autistic population. A majority of non-autistic professions disagrees with the practice of ABA too, 43% of whom disagreeing strongly. (Not just non-autistic people in general, and not just professionals in general, but specifically non-autistic professionals.)

Unsurprisingly, the 20 respondents who were ABA practitioners, BCBAs or behaviourists were more positive about it: 16 strongly agreeing, 3 agreeing and 1 being neutral.

Of course, the counterargument can be sensed a mile away: " but how many of these autistic people have experienced ABA themselves? "

The answer: 341 of them. And this was what they thought.

Of course, ABA apologists are likely to point out that autistic people who haven't experienced ABA are more likely to be critical than those who have actually had it. But that doesn't look like a great defence when more autistic ABA patients clicked "strongly disagree" than all the other options combined. Honestly, if any other type of intervention had an outright majority of its patients strongly disagreeing with its practice, the intervention would likely be abolished.

(I've long believed that ABA is only seen as acceptable because the subjects are autistic children (and often disabled too), and therefore unethical interventions are easier to justify than they would be for non-autistic/non-disabled children.)

The chart on the right may look encouraging for those who support ABA, but (leaving aside that a 45% approval rating isn't great, especially with a quarter of parents strongly disapproving) it's sobering when placed next to the experiences of those who have personally undergone the treatment.

To me, this gives rise to two questions:

Once again, there's a counterargument: " surely the autistic adults went through 'old ABA', before the profession improved the practice and came up with 'new ABA'. "

I thought of this too. So I split the autistic respondents into two age groups.

There is a difference between these age groups. But if I were an ABA practitioner, I'd hardly be jumping for joy that only a small outright majority of younger ABA recipients strongly disagreed with its use.

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Given the way autistic respondents have answered the other questions in this survey, you've probably worked out where this is going.

Yep, less than 10% of autistic respondents wanted a cure for their autism, and over 80% did not.

And, because if you've read this article all the way through you know how much I love pre-emptively addressing counter-arguments, here's the bar graph in response to those thinking " yes, but this doesn't represent those poor nonverbal people with learning difficulties ".

It really was surprisingly how near-identical these two graphs are. Experience told me to predict a similar result but even I didn't expect it to match up quite this well.

Of course, even then there's a counter-argument - that people who want to push back even further will argue this doesn't include autistic people with extremely profound complex learning disabilities who don't know what a survey is.

Leaving aside the inbuilt ableism in that assumption (and the fact that even if the survey did extract the opinions of those with complex disabilities, some people would still argue against any results they don't want to acknowledge), I'll say the same as I did in 2018- that:

To me, it seems illogical to say that just because an autistic person can't access this survey, their opinions on a cure will suddenly become the polar opposite of their autistic peers.

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Now, let's take a look at what parents/caregivers think.

And this time, I split the results based on the parents'/caregivers' neurology. The results were quite striking.

The autistic respondents' collective attitude towards curing their relatives was an accurate reflection of their attitude towards curing themselves.

Non-autistic parents/caregivers, however, 'only' had a slim majority opposing cures for their children.

Whatever the explanation for the difference, it's near-certain not to be anything to do with complex disabilities. Assuming that the children of autistic parents and non-autistic parents are just as likely to be profoundly disabled (intuitively some would assume it to be more likely for autistic parents, but let's assume equality for argument's sake), that would make these charts an accurate illustration of parental attitudes to a pool of children with an even spread of disability.

Short version: autistic parents are less likely to want cures for their autistic children, regardless of disability.

Perhaps it's a matter of empathy: that autistic parents would see curing their children as akin to curing themselves. But I'll cover empathy later on.

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The attitude of professionals (autistic or otherwise) appears to mirror those of the general autistic population, but the attitudes behind the groups' answers may be different. For example, some may strongly disagree because they see the awesomeness in their students/clients personalities, and others may disagree because it's not up to them to have such hopes.

Then again, I feel that last option is more likely to be the case for the ABA/BCBA crew, whose attitudes towards cures was surprisingly neutral. (For context, two ABA practitioners and one BCBA were autistic themselves.)

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Once again, I'm aware that these next charts focus on a minority of respondents (albeit a substantial minority). But I felt it important to look further into the life experiences of those who did agree to the concept of a cure.

These charts take the pro-cure autistic respondents (red bars), and measure their traits/conditions against all autistic respondents (green).

As always, you can click to see the full image.
(Rows ordered by percentage of all autistic respondents, to visually emphasise differences among pro-cure autistic respondents.)
The intention was the answer the question "which traits and conditions lead people to disproportionately want a cure?" although I don't think many conclusions can be made here. Most of the traits and conditions are within reasonable proximity to each other. A few things I noticed though- autistic respondents who wanted a cure:

Had a higher percentage of learning disabilities (12.56%, compared to 6.71% of all autistic respondents)*

Had a lower rate of special interests (68.28% compared to 80.60%) and creativity (33.82% v 48.24%)

Were less likely to stim (58.62% compared to 71.34%)

Reported lower levels of intense empathy (54.75% compared to 70.55%), higher levels of lacking empathy (23.51% v 14.76%) and were likely to identify themselves as aggressive (27.38% v 18.40%)

Were much less likely to match autistic stereotypes, such as "geekiness" (53.78% v 65.03%), being academically gifted (46.70% v 60.82%), having attention to detail (57.97% v 69.75%) or problem-solving skills (40.26% v 52.76%).

*It's important to clarify that autistic people with learning disabilities in general did not want a cure, even though percentage-wise they were more likely to. Although it could technically be said that 'autistic people with learning disabilities were twice as likely to strongly agree with a cure', we should be bound by responsible reporting (and basic statistical literacy) to not make statements like this without also clarifying that we are talking about small percentages.

After all, if a food/drink has a 0.00001% chance of giving you cancer, and then they change its recipe which leads to a 0.00005% chance, you could very accurately say "it's five times more likely to give you cancer!!" even though it would be a misleading and scaremongering thing to say.

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And what about pro-cure parents/caregivers?
(I should clarify that, as you've already seen, the cure question was asked three times in this survey: once for autistic people about themselves, once for parents/caregivers about their relatives, and once for professionals about their students/clients. So autistic parents were represented in the previous charts regarding their answer about themselves, and represented in these charts regarding their answers about their relatives.)
The most visible findings? Parents/caregivers who wanted a cure for their relatives:

Reported disproportionately fewer relatives with an anxiety disorder than all parents/caregivers reported them (48.91% compared to 55.65%)

Disproportionately had relatives with learning disabilities (24.97% compared to 17.76%)

Were more likely to check boxes indicating aggression (42.00% v 34.55%), non-speaking speech difficulties (29.58% v 22.61%) and lack of empathy (28.55% v 21.86%)

Were less likely to check boxes indicating autistic traits such as special interests (62.36% v 73.92%), literal thinking (47.38% v 59.00%), executive dysfunction (42.25% v 53.89%), attention to detail (28.30% v 40.65%) and intense empathy (20.87% v 39.55%)

Were less likely to check boxes indicating personality attributes such as "hyper-honesty" (28.43% v 40.56%), "geekiness" (20.61% v 32.78%), and "being extremely funny" (14.85% v 26.75%).

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Although not quite a cure-related question, I felt these results belonged in this section.

Big surprise, the autistic respondents were by far the biggest group to agree with this statement, at a rate of over 80%. Parents/caregivers and the 'neutral' category also generally agreed (in the high 60s), although not quite as strongly.

The behaviourists generally claimed neutrality again (including the three autistic respondents, all of whom put 'neither').

I also analysed the statistics for non-autistic professionals in general, and found that they were very similar to the 'neutral' category - except with a 3% increase on "strongly agree" and 6% on "agree". (Which, curiously enough, was a marginally more positive response than the non-autistic parents/caregivers.)

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OK, final category now.

Before we begin, we must draw a clear distinction between cognitive empathy and social empathy. To summarise it briefly:

Cognitive empathy means I can look at your face and instinctively know how you're feeling.

Social empathy means I actually care about how you're feeling.

Unfortunately, shortly after researchers established that autistic people's struggles to read faces meant struggling with 'cognitive empathy', a misleading rumour went round that we lack 'empathy' in general.

To be clear though, just because an autistic person struggles to know how you feel, it doesn't mean they don't care about how you feel. The empathy myth does seem to be gradually dying out, but it's one of the most harmful misconceptions about autism out there.

With that out of the way, I decided to ask these upcoming two questions to investigate whether the results fit with Dr Damian Milton's "Double Empathy Problem" theory - the idea that autistic people and non-autistic people struggle equally to communicate with the opposing group, but it's seen as an autism problem because we're outnumbered.

The first graph does seem to indicate the struggles on the part of the autistic respondents.

No big surprise here. We're autistic, and struggling with communication is supposed to be our kind of thing.

But what happens when the equivalent question is asked about communicating with autistic people?

It would appear that the general population, autistic or otherwise, does not claim to struggle to communicate with autistic people, including those with no 'official' link to autism.

(Quick note: although the group that appears to struggle most are non-autistic parents/caregivers, it's worth bearing in mind that the question reads "I often find autistic people difficult to understand/communicate with", not "I often find my autistic relative difficult to understand/communicate with".)

So, let's combine the two questions together.

This was one of those charts that defied my expectations. It appears to fly in the face of Dr Milton's theory, to the extent that I reached out to him for comment.

This was his response (truncated for length):

Non-autistic people feeling that they communicate well with or understand autistic people does not always mean the same is felt by autistic people. This optimistic bias may be due to autistic people being framed as the ones with the communication and empathy issues. This was actually somewhat highlighted by Brett Heasman and Alex Gillespie's work on perspective taking.

Another aspect is time spent with autistic people. A parent or professional who has spent much of their lives with autistic people in one way or another is less likely to feel an issue in general communication and understanding. If someone who had not worked with autistic people were to claim such an understanding, I very much doubt this would be felt by autistic people they communicated with. Were the respondents to the survey generally involved with autistic people (either professionally or through family)? If so, the results do not strike me as particularly surprising.

An interesting question remains - why the optimistic bias [on the part of non-autistic people] regarding ability to understand and communicate? Where does this come from?

In addition to Dr Milton's interesting insight, the issue was summarised quite neatly by @autistictic in a Twitter thread about this article:

The survey result doesn't contradict the Double Empathy Problem at all. It actually demonstrates it beautifully.

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And finally, the question of empathy in the wider sense.

The traits question earlier showed the statistics of what percentage of respondents experienced 'intense empathy' or 'lack of empathy' (either from themselves or their autistic relatives). These were:

Notice how autistic respondents were nearly five times more likely to report experiencing intense empathy than a lack of empathy (and twice as likely to report it as parents/caregivers, who by comparison were 'only' nearly twice as likely to report intense empathy than a lack of it.)

But I'll finish the graphs section of this article with an updated version of what I finished the 2018 with- perhaps the most hurtful realisation at all.

Four years on, things don't appear to have changed. And tragically - because empathy is often difficult to see from those who struggle to communicate - those who live with non-speaking autistic people with learning disabilities may not truly realise just how empathetic they are.

Not right now, anyway.

-

For those wondering, TL;DR is internet language for "Too Long; Didn't Read". So here is the shortened version of the results that stand out.

Autistic people's life experiences:

1. Nearly 90% of autistic respondents claimed that other people's attitudes towards autism made their lives difficult, compared to less than 60% claiming their autistic neurology did the same.

2. Over 70% of autistic respondents feel socially isolated, very little change since the previous survey.

3. Autistic employees often do not have their needs met at work, but are marginally better accommodated in workplaces where they work with autistic students/clients.

4. Over 80% of autistic respondents felt the need to mask in front of non-autistic people, but over 50% did not feel the need to mask in front of other autistics.

5. Autistic respondents appear less likely to be religious, although other factors appear to be stronger indicators of religiosity (mainly geography and sexuality).

Parents'/caregivers' life experiences:

1. Even though nearly half of parents were negative about their schools' ability to support their children, parents still appear more likely to be positive about school than autistic respondents.

2. Having an autistic family member had a negative impact on employment for 38. 94% of parent/caregiver respondents, but did not have a negative impact for 43.61% of them. Of course, there was no data from parents of non-autistic children to compare this to.

Professionals' experiences:

1. Those who worked with a majority of autistic students/clients enjoyed their jobs more than those who worked with a minority of autistic students clients (65% against 47% strongly agreeing with "I enjoy my job"). The vast majority of both groups agreed with the statement in general.

2. There was an almost perfectly even split between professionals who believed their training prepared them adequately to work with autistic clients and those who did not, with healthcare workers being marginally less confident about their training levels and therapists/psychiatrists being marginally more confident.

Accessibility:

1. All measured areas of public life were less accessible to autistic people than the general population (although the general population did not appear to think public life was very accessible either).

2. The UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand tend to be the places where diagnoses are most accessible, and (based on much smaller data) the Middle East, Asia and Africa were at the opposite end of the scale.

3. Approximately half of autistic respondents and parents/caregivers believed the diagnostic pathway was not accessible.

4. The majority of autistic respondents and parents/caregivers believed they did not get the support they needed post-diagnosis.

The autism/autistic community:

1. 90% of parents/caregivers value the input of autistic adults - and 60% of them strongly.

2. Autistic adults who believe that non-autistic parents should have their perspectives valued in the autism discussion outnumber the autistic adults who don't.

Intersectionality, co-occurring conditions and traits:

1. The results suggest that a majority of autistic people identify as LGBT+.

2. The results also suggest that autistic people are more than three times more likely to be transgender, and almost four times more likely to identify as disabled.

3. Around 40% of autistic people also have ADHD.

4. Over a third of autistic respondents have PTSD.

Attitudes towards autism:

97% of autistic people and parents/caregivers felt that the general public doesn't understand enough about autism.

Vaccines

1. Over 90% of autistic respondents (and respondents who worked in healthcare) disagreed with concerns about whether vaccines cause autism, along with nearly 90% of the general population. The vast majority of these disagreed strongly.

2. Concerns about vaccines in relation to autism appeared partly influenced by respondents' age (older respondents being more concerned), to a lesser extent their geography, and to some extent their religious background (more religious respondents being marginally more likely to have concerns).

Cures

1. Professionals were approximately as opposed as the general autistic population, as 75% of professionals were opposed to the idea of a cure for their autistic students/clients (although ABA practitioners and BCBAs were statistically neutral on the subject).

2. Parents/caregivers who wanted a cure for their relatives were more likely to have relatives with learning disabilities, and more likely to report aggression, lack of empathy, and non-speaking speech difficulties. They were less likely to report several 'traditional' autism traits (e.g. special interests, literal thinking), as well as personality traits such as geekiness and humour.

ABA

1. Over 70% of autistic ABA recipients disagreed with its use (62% strongly). However, a higher number of parents/caregivers of ABA recipients agreed than disagreed (45% versus 35%)

2. Over 70% of autistic ABA recipients aged 20+ disagreed with its use (65% strongly), along with over 60% of ABA recipients aged 0-19 (52% strongly).

3. ABA practitioners, BCBAs and behaviourist respondents were generally neutral about whether autism was a positive contribution to the gene pool, and also neutral about whether they would hope their clients would accept an autism cure.

Language choices:

1. By narrower margins, non-autistic parents and professionals are now more likely to use identity-first language than person-first.

2. Usage of all other language options included in this survey (with the exception of "support needs") has fallen since 2018 in favour of identity-first language.

3. Those who referred to themselves as "autistic people" tended to like being autistic more than those who referred to themselves as "people with autism" (70% compared to 37%). They also disliked being autistic less (8% disliking their autism compared to 29%).

Empathy:

1. Three quarters of autistic respondents had difficulty understanding/communicating with non-autistic people.

2. The majority of every subgroup analysed - autistic or otherwise - claimed to not find autistic people difficult to understand or communicate with. The section contained insight from Dr Damian Milton - author of the "double empathy theory" - adding context to why non-autistic respondents may have felt this way.

3. Autistic respondents were nearly five times more likely to report 'intense empathy' than 'lack of empathy' (71% v 15%), and parents were nearly twice as likely (40% v 22%).

-

Whether you skim-read this article or waded through all 13,000+ words of it, thanks very much for doing so. Again, anyone reading this is welcome to take screenshots, and download the charts from this Dropbox folder. If you're interested in more of my work then here are some social media links: Autistic Not Weird's Facebook community, Instagram page and YouTube channel, as well as Chris Bonnello - Author on Facebook.

Of course, I'll finish with reminding any remaining readers that although autism advocacy is my career, I received no grants for this survey and essentially did it for free. So if anyone reading this thinks my work is worth supporting, then firstly thank you very much and secondly here are some useful links:

Huge thanks once again to everyone who took part in the survey, to those in the acknowledgements who helped shape it, and to my Patreon supporters for providing me with so much stability and consistency.

I hope that those who read this article gain a lot from it, and that autistic lives ultimately end up better off as a result.

Take care,

Chris Bonnello

-

Underdogs, a near-future dystopia series where the heroes are teenagers with special needs, is a character-driven war story which pitches twelve people against an army of millions, balancing intense action with a deeply developed neurodiverse cast.

Book one can be found here:

Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Audible (audiobook version)
Review page on Goodreads

Chris Bonnello is a national and international autism speaker, available to lead talks and training sessions from the perspective of an autistic former teacher. For further information please click here (opens in new window).

Autistic Not Weird on Facebook

Autistic Not Weird on YouTube

Twitter | Instagram

Copyright © Chris Bonnello 2015-2022

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Results and Analysis of the Autistic Not Weird 2022 Autism Survey

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Is it 'autistic person' or 'person with autism'? How many autistic people are also LGBT+? Has ABA improved in recent years? Do parents of autistic people wish for a cure? Do autistic people feel empathy or not? With a subject as broad (and historically misunderstood) as autism, it's important to build an accurate and meaningful consensus about important topics.

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https://autismsociety.org/

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Autism Society Creating connections for the Autism community to live fully.

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We create connections, empowering everyone in the Autism community with the resources needed to live fully.

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List of Aucademy groups on our main page: https://www.facebook.com/Aucademy/groups/?ref=page_internal

Social Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1679015432256907/

Caregivers Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/683580669039687/

Animals Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/455538599068228/

Arts Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/133924215267527/

LGBTQIA+ Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/184158193599537

AucadeMemes Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/292043442472832

InfoDump Vaults (On Discord) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/773389976913468

Especially Interesting - https://www.facebook.com/groups/195279562506752

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https://www.learnfromautistics.com/

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Learn From Autistics publishes resources teaching about neurodiversity and environmental accommodations based on autistic* input. We understand every autistic person has a voice and that neurotypicals must respect and address the needs expressed by autistics and not dismiss them as flawed because of where they came from.

We believe that autistic input should not be merely sought out as an afterthought or addition to NT advocacy efforts, but rather, that autistic expertise is essential and fundamental to understanding autism.

Our website offers a variety of practical parenting and teaching resources with an emphasis on respecting the voice and dignity of the autistic person.
Testimonials"It's easy to forget that adults could not receive an autism diagnosis until the 1990s, and that as a result, autistic children and their parents couldn't benefit from the lived experiences of people on the spectrum. Jenna Gensic's book marks a profound historical shift - the beginning of an era when parents can turn to autistic adults, instead of only to neurotypical 'experts,' for advice on helping their kids navigate and learn to thrive in a world that is often confusing and overwhelming. Gensic has gathered a group of wise autistic elders to offer helpful and practical guidance on a broad array of subjects and challenges. An uplifting and encouraging book." - Steve Silberman, author, "Jenna goes directly to the source - autistic people themselves - to gain greater understanding in what children on the spectrum need. Carefully crafted interviewing gifts the reader with vital insights in promoting fulfilling and productive lives for autistic children by working with their strengths, while remaining realistic about the often significant challenges, that come from being autistic." -Stephen M. Shore, Ed.D, Internationally known educator, author, consultant, and presenter on issues related to autism "Wise advice from twelve older autistic people will help teenagers and young adults on the spectrum navigate life. Jenna Gensic's book will also provide parents and professionals with great insights."-What Your Child on the Spectrum - Carrie Cariello, author, This book is very important! One of the questions that I am asked most frequently by parents is, 'How do I parent my child with autism so that he can excel?' What Your Child - Brenda Smith Myles, PhD, author, "There is a revolution underway that is deconstructing damaging myths, and reconstructing more positive and accurate understandings about the autistic experience. Indisputably, the leaders of this revolution are autistic people who have generously shared their first hand experiences. In this essential work, Jenna Gensic, a parent-professional and originator of the LearnfromAutistics.com website, draws from the experience and expertise of 12 autistic adults to take it a step further by offering direct advice for parents and family members. Jenna is to be congratulated for supporting more autistic voices in helping us better understand, support and appreciate the uniqueness autistic children and adults." -Barry M. Prizant, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Adjunct Professor, Brown University, author, "Jenna Gensic has written a book that is a must-read for future and current speech-language pathologists, parents of Autistics, and anyone else who wants an inside look at autism. Read this book and learn from the experts themselves-Autistics. She writes from an angle that does not alienate professionals, yet empowers parents and Autistics themselves. As a professor and speech-language pathologist of over 20 years, I highly recommend this book!" Jennifer M. Hatfield MHS CCC-SLP/L, Clinical Assistant Professor, Indiana University South Bend Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism The SCERTS Model Excelling with Autism: Obtaining Critical Mass Using Deliberate Practice, The Hidden Curriculum: Practical Solutions for Understanding Unstated Rules in Social Situations *This website uses "identity-first" language (IFL) rather than "person-first" language (PFL) out of respect for many of the contributing blog participants. However, PFL is used in interviews where that is the personal preference of the interviewee. Follow #ActuallyAutistic on Twitter Really Needs: Advice From 12 Autistic Adults provides the best insight into answering this question. Autistic adults share valuable information, stories, and tips that brilliantly illustrate how to help children experience life's triumphs and overcome obstacles that may be placed in their way. Parents, please read this book!!" What Color is Monday?, Someone I'm With Has Autism Really Needs: Advice From 12 Autistic Adults, Jenna Gensic insightfully explores various angles of autism through interviews and reflection. I thoroughly enjoyed the perspective deep within our spectrum community-those with autism themselves. It is well-written, and very informative." Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures, The Autistic Brain NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity
Visit our Resources section or visit our Blog for more ways to connect with the autistic community.

The Learn From Autistics Blog features regular interviews with individuals on the spectrum and promotes their individual work and advocacy efforts.

Leave us a comment or send us a message if there is something you'd like to see.

Thanks for visiting!

See what #ActuallyAutistic people are tweeting about.

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Learn From Autistics publishes resources teaching about neurodiversity and environmental accommodations based on autistic* input. We understand every autistic person has a voice and that neurotypicals must respect and address the needs expressed by autistics and not dismiss them as flawed because of where they came from.

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https://exceptionalindividuals.com/candidates/neurodiversity-resources/neurodiversity-quizzes/autism-quiz-test/

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Autism Test | Am I Autistic? | Free Online Quiz

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Think you may have autism or Asperger's? Take our FREE online quiz for adults to check if you have any traits symptomatic of this neurodivergence. Take our online autism quiz today.

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Overview: The History of Autism According to Me
Understanding Autism (It's not as difficult as you think)

Autism in a Nutshell

The Necessity of Autism - An Apologia for Our Existence

All Children are Born Autistic

Human Rights Autism: How Autism Helped Mahatma Gandhi Free India

The Autistic Neanderthal (The unifying theory of autism)

Autism v Group Dynamics & Authority
(The necessity of autism for human progress)

The Neurological Spectrum - Between Individual and Collective Identity
(Take Ludwig's Neurological Spectrum Test)

The Case for Organic Education
(How Ken Robinsons Model of Education Would Benefit Both Society and Students of All Neurological Orientations)

The Autistic Classroom
(How autistic learning could be accommodated rather than eliminated)

Why Applied Behaviour Analysis Harms Your Autistic Child
or ABA - When Children are Not Allowed to Be Themselves

Pathologising Autism

Pathfinders of Mankind (Why we need autism)

Growing Up Autistically (How I discovered I'm autistic)

The Silenced Voice of Carly Fleischmann

The Autism Gravy Train - The Big Business with Autism

The Parallels between Left-Handedness and Autism

What is Low-Functioning Autism?

Why Autistic Children Need Autistic Teachers

How Autism Has Made Me an Exceptional Childcare Worker

Why Autism Speaks Disabled the Review Option on their Facebook Page

How Autism Speaks Hijacked World Autism Awareness Day

The Outsiders (How we perceive non-autistic people)

The Pathology of Sanity

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Autism is not only a natural but an indispensable part of human neurological diversity. If it weren't for autists, human evolution would be unthinkable. Therefore autism should not merely be accepted, it should be appreciated. These are the pieces I have written on this topic.- Frank L. Ludwig

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https://www.learnfromautistics.com/autism-advocacy-toolkit/

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The Neurotypical Parent's Autism Advocacy Toolkit

This download is a beginner's guide to helping parents model autism acceptance and autism advocacy. It is a brief primer to understanding the movement towards civil rights for autistics and offers parents a foundation for furthering the neurodiversity movement in their own homes and communities. This concise guide also contains many useful resources for learning about advocacy and disability rights.

In the Autism Advocacy Toolkit, you will find:

A discussion of the importance of self-advocacy

A brief history of autism advocacy and the neurodiversity movement

Information about how parents can adopt an autism advocacy mindset that respects autistics on the spectrum

A list of common terms and definitions associated with the autism advocacy movement

Ideas for how parents can teach their children to advocate for themselves

Advocacy quotes from autistics themselves

A list of self-advocate autism blogs to follow for more information

A list of autism advocacy organizations

If you are already an expert autism advocate:

This toolkit offers a summary snapshot of the autism advocacy movement and is a useful resource for sharing with your family and friends who are not intimately familiar with autism. Consider it a summary card with the basic disability rights tenets that may substitute uncomfortable or fatiguing conversations you'd have constantly correcting your friends or family. This guide is a great way to explain some of your beliefs about neurodiversity and autism acceptance. It also can help others better understand autism and where they can obtain additional information from sources that promote autism acceptance.

The Autism Advocacy Toolkit is a good resource to discuss with:

Other parents of autistic children

Other family members

Family friends

Special education or general education teachers

Anyone interested in learning about the neurodiversity movement

Our Autism Advocacy Toolkit is free for anyone who subscribes to our monthly mailing list.
After subscribing, please click on the link below to access your free download.

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This download is a beginner's guide to helping parents model autism acceptance and autism advocacy. It is a brief primer to understanding the movement towards civil rights for autistics and offers parents a foundation for furthering the neurodiversity movement in their own homes and communities.

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https://autisticadvocacy.org/policy/toolkits/safety/

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Autism & Safety Toolkit - Autistic Self Advocacy Network

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Autistic people have the right to be safe and live independently in our communities. We also face significant threats to our safety, including higher rates of abuse, institutionalization, suicide, and police violence. Too often, autistic voices have been erased from conversations about autism and safety. That's why ASAN is proud...

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Employment Toolbox - The Asperger / Autism Network (AANE)

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Asperger profiles employment to read articles, watch videos, webinars, and more.

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Many typical educator behavior management approaches are not effective with children with Asperger profiles. At AANE we've gathered practical strategies you can try at school. To get started, determine what observable behavior you are trying to change or skill you are trying to teach. Gather baseline data so you know your student's current ability. Set a realistic, measurable goal. Implement your strategy and measure its effectiveness over a set period of time. No strategy works for every student in every situation. Want more individualized support to figure out what will work for your student? Request an AANE consultation.

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Educator Toolbox - The Asperger / Autism Network (AANE)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many typical educator behavior management approaches are not effective with children with Asperger profiles. At AANE we've gathered practical strategies you can try at school. To get started, determine what observable behavior you are trying to change or skill you are trying to teach. Gather baseline data so you know your student's current ability.

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A lot of typical parenting advice just doesn't work for children with Asperger profiles. At AANE we've gathered practical strategies you can try at home or school. To get started choose one new strategy and try it for a set period of time. If it helps and you like it-great! If it doesn't, it's fine to try something else. No strategy works for every child in every situation. None of these strategies cost a lot of money or time and many families find they make day to day life much easier for the whole family. Want more individualized support to figure out what will work for your child or family? Try AANE Parent Coaching.

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Parenting Toolbox - The Asperger / Autism Network (AANE)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A lot of typical parenting advice just doesn't work for children with Asperger profiles. At AANE we've gathered practical strategies you can try at home or school. To get started choose one new strategy and try it for a set period of time. If it helps and you like it-great!

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WEEKLY LIVESTREAMS at 19:00 every Saturday on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Aucademy - Education for everyone on Autistic experience educates about Autistic experience by only Autistic/#neurodivergent educators of any background.

We have a growing back catalogue of videos on all sorts of topics relevant to #Autistic people, from discussions on Autistic people and crime, to the importance of animals for Autistic people (with guest Giant African Land Snails), to what *is* Autistic experience, and how might you tell young people and adults they are Autistic.

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Aucademy-101326881593362/

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLsMY1ZY9-8IReQfGX-CvBQ/videos

Website https://aucademy.co.uk

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Aucademy: University & general learning self-advocacy 

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Aucademy: University & general learning self-advocacy 

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University Reasonable Adjustments document https://aucademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/university-reasonable-adjustments-document-by-chloe-farahar.pdf

https://aucademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/common-environmental-challenges-potential-solutions-downloadable-table.pdf

https://aucademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/my-personal-self-advocacy-plan-inclusive-learning-plan.docx

https://aucademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/dr-c-farahar-example-accessible-slides-resource-for-lectures-or-seminars.pptx

https://aucademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/the-law-and-disabled-students-e28093-in-he.pdf

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Autistic wellbeing: What works?: In this video Dr Chloe Farahar discusses Autistic wellbeing (anxiety; overwhelm; harmful stims; voice hearing; depression; etc.); what does and does not work to improve Autistic wellbeing (e.g. adapted CBT); & the importance of Autistic identity, culture, community, & space for wellbeing. https://aucademy.co.uk/webinar-videos-menu/2/

Aucademy YouTube mental health playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLth_YtwLg2GvoLF7BfTrX6SoVsIrTdkDN

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Aucademy: Autistic, gender, & sexuality diversity – growing list of resources

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Aucademy: Autistic, gender, & sexuality diversity – growing list of resources

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https://aucademy.co.uk/2021/10/03/autistic-gender-sexuality-diversity-growing-list-of-resources/

Aucademy YouTube LGBTQIA+ playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLth_YtwLg2Gv0KTeh5mz0qIidxQnSx5rV

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Aucademy: Autistics of colour and/or non-British cultures

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Aucademy: Autistics of colour and/or non-British cultures

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https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLth_YtwLg2GvSa4vYmAxpT9aGLtqaExL4

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Aucademy: Especially Interesting podcast 

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Aucademy: Especially Interesting podcast 

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Aucademy: Especially Interesting podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/195279562506752

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https://aucademy.co.uk/

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Unofficial, de-gendered Autistic checklist: https://aucademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2020-unofficial-autistic-checklist-wider-distribution.docx

World Health Organisation: Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale-V1.1: https://aucademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/who-adhd-test-18q_asrs_english.pdf

Kieran Rose masking indicators: https://aucademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/kieran-rose-masking-indicators.docx