Where the autistic rights movement IS the news!
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 …
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. (Disclaimer: These views are her own and are not representative of the New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence.) Neurodiversity News: …
Content Warning: Ableism, exploitation, violence 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 …
Since Temple Grandin made headlines in the 1980s as the first openly autistic adult to be recognized in the media, many autistics have made memoirs about their personal experiences since her heyday. However, most just cover one perspective of autism but don’t highlight the rest of the spectrum. We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation by Eric …
Content Warning: Ableism, eugenics, pro-cure propaganda The view of autism as a negative condition by society is not a new phenomenon. From the founder of ABA saying autistics are “not people in the psychological sense” to Autism Speaks calling it an “epidemic,” the Neurodiversity Movement has been utilized by the marginalized group to challenge …
After a long hiatus, Neurodiversity News is back with another interview! This week, we interview Lillian Carrier, who plays Drea on the show Everything’s Gonna Be Okay. She’s also an advocate and founder of the organization OurTism. Neurodiversity News: Tell me about yourself and what you do. Lillian Carrier: Describing yourself is a really hard thing …
CW: Autism Speaks, ableism, violence Every year in A pril, an international tradition is celebrated that autistic people dread, and that’s Autism Awareness Month. In response, autistic people created Autism Acceptance Month, as acceptance promotes action, while awareness is passive. Autism Awareness Month was created by the Autism Society of America (ASA) in 1970 and …
The legal act of someone being in control of another person’s daily life or finances, or conservatorship (also called guardianship) is not a new phenomenon. Conservatorship is appointed by a judge when a person is considered incapacitated or incapable of handling their life or finances without assistance. In a recent episode of The New York …
Trigger Warning: Filicide, ableism It’s safe to say that the idea of murdering a child or loved one is a universally evil act. However, when it’s a disabled person who is murdered, the media tends to center the murderer as justified in their actions. They’ll use excuses like the victim being “difficult to care …
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. “It left me with a lump with my throat,” he said. A younger man was crying outside the house. It was his neighbor’s son, …