Alice Running is an Autistic author and mother of Autistic children from the U.K.. She writes and blogs about social justice, the Autistic experience, inclusivity, and elevating Autistic voices. This week she shared her experience as a late-diagnosed adult creating a safe environment for her Autistic children.
Andy Buchanan is a 27 year-old from Newton Aycliffe, England diagnosed with Autism and other mental health conditions. He blogs at Andy’s Spectrum on his thoughts and opinions surrounding the subjects of Autism and Mental Health. This week he discussed some of the mental health challenges that are exacerbated by the pandemic as well as his goals to support others through his blog.
Grace is a late-diagnosed blogger and advocate for autistic children and adults. Her blog, Autistic Empath offers a variety of insights on spectrum life, including myths and misconceptions, coping strategies, what it’s like to live in an NT world, Autistic adulthood, advocacy, and practical daily living tips. This week she shared some of her experiences growing up undiagnosed and her advocacy work that helps NT parents better understand their neurodiverse children.
Sarah is a recently-diagnosed Autistic and “ADHDer” who regularly shares her experiences in an effort to shatter stereotypes about neurodivergent people. She blogs at Autistically Sarah and is a public advocate for autism acceptance and neurodiversity.
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Nera Birch is a self-advocate from Cleveland, OH with a passion for speaking and writing on topics related to autism advocacy. Birch blogs at I’m Not Drunk, I’m Autistic. This week Birch shared her experiences living with auditory processing disorder and how that can impact holiday gatherings.
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Fr. Matthew Schneider is a priest with the Legionaries of Christ ordained in 2013. He has over 50,000 followers between Twitter and Instagram. He is studying a doctorate in theology and lives in the Philadelphia area. Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Fr. Matthew has worked throughout North America. This week Fr. Matthew discusses the intersection of autism and spirituality.
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Matt Dunford started his love of comics before he could even read and has attended every San Diego Comic-Con since 1994. This inspired him to pursue a career in comics, leading him to be an editor at Semantink Publishing, Senior Editor of Keyleaf Comics, and the President of Little Fish Comic Book Studio. In 2017, he was unanimously elected as Chairman of San Diego Comic Fest and continues to spearhead the convention. He has taken up an active role in the community with a focus on WWII history, serving as the PR & Marketing Director for the video game publisher Crytivo, and as a member of the Non-Profit organization, Creators Assemble! Matt’s passion for the comic book medium is only surpassed by his enthusiasm for sharing it with everyone. This week Matt shared how his love of comics helped him understand the world and make friends and how he now works with individuals on the spectrum who might also benefit from this medium.
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Teona Studemire is a 23-year-old writer and college student majoring in Library Sciences. Studemire is Autistic and ADHD, has Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and hyper-mobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and is an advocate for other multiply-disabled people. This week she shared some of her personal experiences related to the intersection of Blackness and disability.
James Shirley is a truck driver, ordained minister, and vlogger from Pennsylvania with an M.A. in Theology. He identifies as INFJ and is passionate about disability advocacy and is actively involved in many disability and human rights organizations, corresponds with elected officials to improve public policy, and is working on a film about disability experience. This week James shared this experience with the intersection of disability and religion and how he’s managed life throughout multiple abuses.
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Bernard Grant’s writing has appeared in Crab Orchard Review, New Delta Review, The South Carolina Review, Third Coast, and Craft, among other online and print publications. Bernard serves as an Associate Fiction Editor of Tahoma Literary Review and holds an MFA from The Rainier Writing Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University where they were awarded the Carol Houck Smith Graduate Scholarship. They have also received scholarships to The Anderson Center, Sundress Academy for the Arts, and Fishtrap: Writing and the West, as well as fellowships from Vermont Studio Center, Jack Straw Cultural Center, Mineral School, and The University of Cincinnati, where they are a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature and Creative Writing, and are at work on a novel-in-stories that focuses on a mixed-raced family and features autistic characters. Bernard is also working on essays on autism and American racism, which they plan to collect and title Unmasking. This week Bernard discussed his life as an Autistic author and ways society can work towards autism acceptance.
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