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Texas Was ‘Not Prepared’ To Care For Medically Vulnerable People During The Severe Weather, Lawmaker Says
A white man in a black hoodie carrying an orange bucket with firewood, walking across a snowy sidewalk with a telephone pole and truck driving behind him. Photo from KUT 90.5

When Cornell Woolridge finally ventured out of his Northwest Austin home to get water and food following the extreme weather last week, he noticed police vehicles outside an elderly neighbor’s house.

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Music: A Film with Potentially Deadly Consequences
Sia, a white woman with black and blonde hair, wearing a giant blue bow with a blue dress in front of a yellow background

Ever since the film Music was announced by its director, Sia, the autistic community was outraged because of its portrayal of a nonspeaking autistic girl by a neurotypical actor, Maddie Ziegler. In response to the backlash, Sia cursed at and insulted her critics, later deleting her tweets entirely. However, another controversy has arose, in which leaked scenes from the film showcase the titular character, Music, having a meltdown and being held down by a prone restraint.

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Interviews

Interview: Jen Schonger
A logo of two people carrying a torch reading “NJ Autism Center of Excellence, NJACE, Leading the Way.”

This week on Neurodiversity News, we have interviewed Jen Schonger, an ally of the autistic community and program manager for the New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence. This is what she had to say.

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Blog

Group Home Chronicles: Volume 1

For three years, I worked as a direct support professional, or DSP, for autistic teenagers with higher support needs in group homes. They were sent there for violent offenses committed in the community. I recall my times there so others have an idea of how group homes operate and the impact it can have on the people who live (or are forced to live) there.

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How NOT to Portray High-Support Autistic People

The autism spectrum is incredibly vast, with each person displaying a distinct number of traits where no two are alike. It can be hard to put any group of autistics in a box, as there are some who can’t bathe themselves but can remember every fact about the solar system, or someone who is the CEO of a company but who need help in social situations. Recently, a handful of organizations like the National Council on Severe Autism (NCSA) and the Autism Science Foundation (ASF) have started a website emphasizing those with “severe autism,” stating their presence is a “growing public health crisis in America.”

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