I’d like say that I’m grateful for the many Autistic people I’ve corresponded with who have helped me to better understand autism, raise my son with a positive autistic identity, and shape my advocacy efforts for this community. This website is a platform for autistic voices and expertise, but only because so many Autistic individuals…
Erin Human is an Autistic artist and married mother of two who creates infographics and neurodiversity-themed designs. She sells work on Redbubble in addition to working as the Art Director for the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network (AWN). She has created a wonderful illustrated guide on making friends and getting along with people who are different. A description of the guide is reprinted here with her permission. The full guide is also accessible in our resources section.
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I recently saw a social media post supporting inclusion where an autistic woman commented with a warning about being “too inclusive.” What she was referring to was forceful inclusion, and gave the example of her mother removing her bedroom door at her therapist’s suggestion to improve socialization. This sounds like abuse, and the opposite of inclusion, but it’s worth mentioning because it raises the important questions of what is inclusion and who defines it?
…It’s World Autism Day and many #ActuallyAutistics are wearing red to celebrate. Others will wear blue to support the awareness campaign initiated by Autism Speaks. The Light It Up Red Instead (#WalkInRed) counter-campaign originated in 2015 to boycott Autism Speaks and recapture the narrative of autism awareness and acceptance. There are numerous articles detailing the…
Autistic representation in literature is growing, but all portrayals are not universally favorable. There are many different ways autistic people live, so no one representation should be accepted as truth. Other controversy arises when one portrayal is so narrow that it leads to damaging misconceptions. This is a complex issue, but increasing the amount of autistic portrayals and greater exposure to autistic-authored literature featuring autistic characters should at least get our society moving in the right direction.
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Autistic romantic relationships may look different than neurotypical ones. The best way to understand how autistic individuals can create successful romantic relationships is talking and listening to autistic people who have been in them. This article offers a simple overview for parents of three fundamental principles to remember regarding autistic involvement in romantic relationships and cites additional relationship resources for further reading.
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How does the autistic mind perceive the neurotypical world? This autistic-authored “guide” offers insight into a perspective neurotypical parents may have never heard. The article below is an excerpt from Frank L. Ludwig‘s The Autist’s Guide to Planet Earth. It was originally posted on his website and is reprinted here with his permission.
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This article was written by Emma Dalmayne, an autistic advocate, activist, and writer from the UK. It was originally published on her website and is reprinted here with her permission.
Imagine if you will a quiet world, well ordered as long as everything has its place..
Imagine a warmth, cozy and comfortingly familiar. Your own warmth, just your own.
Now imagine headlights, bright and intrusive as in a winters night, burning and intense. They glare through the warmth and safety you have and push your eyes deep into their sockets until it’s unbearably painful.
Those headlights are someone’s eyes making intense eye contact with yours.
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Merry Christmas to you and yours! I wish you the warmest, most joyful and blessed holiday season. My prayer for all readers is that you have an opportunity to experience peace and love in your homes and communities as the year comes to a close. May your sacrifices and struggles reap rewards and may you be blessed with love and acceptance.
As always, it’s best to gain insight into the autistic condition by listening to the voices of autistic people. Here are a selection of articles on Christmas that are authored by individuals on the spectrum.
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The following article was written by writer and public autistic advocate Jamie Knight. Many autistic individuals speak of the fatigue they experience navigating a neurotypically-dominant society on a daily basis and the stress sudden changes can cause. In this post, Jamie offers a unique representation of how he handles the stress that comes with the inevitable changes and unpredictability of life. This post was originally published on his blog Spaced Out & Smiling on July 6, 2017 and is reprinted here with his permission.
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