Autism Resources
Autism is a healthy variation of the human condition. Autists are not tragedies, nor are we defective. We are justice-seeking neurodivergent people who view and experience the world autistically—logically, in systems, in details, and in our own space and time—living Autistic lifestyles.
On this page I’m collecting various resources on Autistic culture, including my interviews with Learn From Autistics, Squarepeg, Autism Stories, The Info Dump Files, Amanda Herbert Hughes, and Sarah Grillo, as well as my blog post for The Cincinnati Review, and brief articles on neurodiversity I’ve written for the nonprofit Specialisterne. Hope they’re helpful!
Autism, a natural neurological variance, is part of the next evolutionary step of the human species, and if Autists must learn about the social norms and constructs of the neurotypical world in order to navigate and participate in society, society will benefit from learning about Autists: our adherences to truth and routines, our tenacity and resilience, our honesty and directness, our logical, intelligent minds, and our deep interests, our passions, on which we hyperfocus, developing expertise.
Autism is a neurotype, a form of neurodivergence. Autism is not disorder; Autists are not ill. We are justice-seeking neurodivergent humans who view and experience the world autistically—logically, in systems, in details—at our own individual times, and in our own individual spaces, living Autistic lifestyles. We’re real.
Videos
Podcasts
Books
Tweets
dear allistics, Autism is not
— The Irritated Autie⁷ 💙 (@AutieAdorableMC) August 31, 2021
- brain damage
- a disease
- a tragedy
- a deficiency
- caused by vaccines
- caused by diet
- caused by bad parenting
most of us call it a
- disability
- neurotype
- difference
sincerely, an #ActuallyAutistic person
If you are a BIPOC autistic and would like to be interviewed about your experiences or to be published, please respond here. If you're a member of the press writing about disability and race, or if you're a publisher, ask BIPOC AUTISTICS. #allautistics #BlackAutisticLivesMatter
— NeuroClastic #iDISSENT #noncompliant #resist (@NeuroClastic) July 9, 2020
— The Cat =^.^= (@purrcarriepurrr) April 6, 2021
"There is a preoccupation with transitioning autistic young people *from* school, rather than transitioning autistic adults *into* schools, as professional educators." https://t.co/fyVoP6rJnL
— Rachel Morgan-Trimmer (@SparkleClass) November 9, 2020
#AutismMyth: There is a linear autism spectrum, ranging from mild to severe.#AutismTruth: The autism spectrum is made up of infinite hues, shades and tints.
— Steve Asbell #IStandWithNonspeakers (@steve_asbell) January 27, 2020
Myths about Autism and Autistic people that I deal with on a near daily basis in my life. A thread 🧵
— Rory - ADHD Autistic OCD (@roryreckons) May 31, 2021
I’ve got so much respect for parents who fight for their kids, and those who home educate.
— Amy // Squarepeg Podcast (@squarepegautism) June 10, 2021
But they shouldn’t have to.
https://t.co/yaEzRY0TCq
#autisticparents #homeschooling pic.twitter.com/MHIb87r13L
Poll for autistic people.
— Ann Memmott PGC🌈 (@AnnMemmott) May 16, 2021
An ABA team say that using noise cancelling headphones is a bad idea for us, as it's us escaping the noise. So, we should be trained to cope with noise instead.
Do you agree with them? Feel free to retweet/explain
Yeme for the day
— Yenn Purkis (@yennpurkis) May 21, 2021
Image description: Cream background with text that reads "Research into autism needs to actually help autistic people and be driven by autistic researchers." pic.twitter.com/HtlyrUACRj
Let’s talk about Why No Autistic Child Should Be in ABA Therapy. I am coming at this from the perspective of a parent whose autistic son is an older teen. Regrets, I have a few. And so we need a thread!
— Shannon Des Roches Rosa (@shannonrosa) October 25, 2020
Also, you won’t need to unroll, article is here: https://t.co/ejN85U3rim
1/
A lot of autistic psychology students say they're unhappy with how autism is taught on their course.
— Sarah Boon (@Saraheboon) November 5, 2020
If you are:
-Autistic
-Have studied psychology at any level (From GCSE to Doctorate)
-Have studied psychology in the UK
Please fill in our survey! https://t.co/AfnifmQ6r0
How to be neurotypical: a step by step guide.
— Emily♡ (@ItsEmilyKaty) September 7, 2021
1. Ask questions that you do not want truthful answers to.
Some NT people, watching an autistic child play by lining things up:
— Pete Wharmby (@commaficionado) November 16, 2020
*I wouldn't enjoy doing that at all. I'd better force this kid to play in a way I would enjoy, and then write a chapter on how autistic people can't understand how other people have their own minds.*
#ActuallyAutistic #AskingAutistics- what are your feelings on ABA?
— Neurodivergent Rebel 🧠 🏳️🌈 (@NeuroRebel) November 2, 2020
Why do you feel this way?
Interested in how and why the #Neurodiversity Movement emerged in the late 20th century? Here's a reprint of my 1998 thesis which I believe was the first sociological study to offer an explanation, and which gave the movt its name. https://t.co/ayJG195xFH pic.twitter.com/6DpfsHnnxZ
— Judy Singer (@singer_judy) December 11, 2018
Miscellaneous Resources
Autism Personal Coach
Provides “Autistic adults and teens hard-to-find support to live self-sufficient and purpose-driven lives through our coaching and community events.”
Planning Across the Spectrum
Planning Across the Spectrum specializes “in helping any individual, family, or employer of those with autism and other disabilities to pursue financial independence. We are striving to enhance their quality of lives and their future.”
Neurodiversity Media
The Resource Library is a professionally curated, evidence-based learning portal designed to equip you with the knowledge and tools to unleash neurodivergent potential in the global workplace.
Become a free member to unlock our entire collection of stories and resources.
Learn from Autistics
Learn from Autistics publishes resources that teach “neurodiversity and environmental accommodations based on autistic input…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.”
The Art of Autism
Our Vision
To empower and connect individuals within the autism community through participation in the Arts.
Our Mission
To foster independence, self-esteem and artistic expression by participation in The Art of Autism Project.
We do this by:
Supporting artists, musicians and creative writers on the autism spectrum
Work With Becca!
“My focus as a Certified Autism and Cognitive Specialist is the inclusion, self-defined success, fulfillment, and quality of life of adults on the autism spectrum and other neurodiversities. Through a variety of mediums including public speaking presentations, neurodiversity consulting, and social media consulting, I offer options and insights into successfully living a self-defined, goal-oriented, fulfilling neurodivergent life.”
Neurodiversity Culture + Representation
“NOS Magazine is a news and commentary source for thought and analysis about neurodiversity culture and representation. Expect long form journalism, reviews of pop culture, and more. NOS stands for ‘Not Otherwise Specified,’ a tongue-in-cheek reference to when a condition does not strictly fit the diagnostic criteria, or is in some way out of the ordinary.”
Squarepeg
Squarepeg is late-diagnosed autist Amy Richards’ podcast and blog. It’s a resource created to “help other autistic women find a sense of community, navigate diagnosis, find our true selves again afterwards, and imagine and create lives which fit around our autism, rather than being at odds with it. Lives in which we can be our true selves, without having to fit ourselves into boxes shaped by society’s expectations.”
AUsome Autism Training
We will bring your understanding of autism to a whole new level…
Autism has been framed in a negative light since its inception. This is because most of the descriptions were created by people who are not Autistic themselves. Therefore much of what medical experts claim to know is based on assumptions. To address this inaccurate portrayal of Autistic people AUsome Autism Training was created. We need to narrow the gap between assumptions and realities. Unfortunately most autism training and research has never been fact checked by Autistic people.
Autistic people have been excluded from the discussion around autism for decades. In other words, many autism training courses explain very little about Autistic people beyond out-dated and stereotypical representations. AUsome Training is fully Autistic! “The best training ever. Very real, clear & informative. It completely opened my mind” Jean Power, Play Therapist
AUsome Autism Training takes training in a new direction
As a result of this exclusion there are many gaps in understanding autism and many myths and inaccurate ideas about us. First and foremost our training puts Autistic people at the very centre of our design and delivery. We focus on educating from the Autistic viewpoint. Secondly, our autism training sessions incorporate the latest thinking from the Autistic Community. Our information is carefully crafted in line with this thinking. Thirdly, we use up-to-date research to support these concepts.
AUsome autism training is Autistic-led
Therefore our Autistic-led training provides a platform for Autistic presenters, advocates and professionals to educate both the Autistic Community and non-autistic people. AUsome Autism Training focuses on the realities of being Autistic and the beauty in our existence. Our autism training works to change how the world responds to and understands Autistic people.
It’s our mission at AUsome Training to create a world where Autistics can flourish and live longer. Our dream is to create a genuinely inclusive environment for Autistics young and old. We do this by presenting a positive identity for Autistic people. We have many AUsome autism training options for you to explore. If you’d like us to tailor a training session for your staff or organisation then we can consult with you to design an AUsome experience. This is ideal for those who want to be the leaders in the diversity and inclusion.
Most importantly,, our priority is to empower people who want to learn about autism. Whether you are a parent, educator, therapist, practitioner, social worker, HR manager, employer, carer or Autistic person AUsome Training has something to support you.
Geek Club Books nonprofit is committed to creating a world where autistic individuals are fully accepted, valued and have a voice. Our priority is bringing autistic individuals creative and leadership opportunities that are meaningful, empowering and support their advocacy. We strive to produce pop culture-based autism awareness education that is innovative, engaging, positive and opens hearts and minds to a new way of thinking about autism.
We pledge to do everything we can to help autistic voices rise to the top. We respect their opinions and prioritize their recommendations based on their own life experiences. There will always be a place for parental and professional guidance and perspectives but never again will they outshine those who are autistic.
Being an Autism support instructor for years have never been so real. I am at this point where the discovery that being autistic is not harmful as we think. The neurotypical society does not really understand this difference especially from the parents point of view(that is, affected families). They worry because its not something they are used to; quite frankly at the first point of meeting with them during assessments, you can see bleakness and shock of mixed feelings on them(I do cry with them in some cases).
But, in the light of the ‘Autism-explained’ summit we will understand what all of these mean and how we can include children and persons with neurological differences in our communities. Acceptance in most countries like mine is still budding, but sure, we will get there! I am so happy to be a part of a school where my teachers are autists…it feels really good. Well-done to you B and all of your team, especially Paul who thought of bringing you guys together and delivering this to us. Cheers to a bright future for all Autists!!!
Thank you, Chinelo! Our lives would be easier if society stopped pathologizing autism.