For those new to autism and the Autistic community, it can be very overwhelming. There’s a lot of information out there, some good, some bad. This is a basic outline to help you get started and give you an idea of how the Autistic community operates by #ActuallyAutistic individuals themselves.
Autism is a Neurotype
It is not a disease/illness that needs to be cured. It is not an add-on to a neurotypical brain that needs to be removed/fixed. It is an Autistic’s very neurology. They are the way they are because of it. It is one of the many ways to be neurodivergent.
Darkest Before Dawn: Autism, Ableism, and the Rise of the Neurodiversity Movement
Neurodiversity: Some Basic Terms & Definitions
What is Neurodiversity? – Neurodiversity in a Nutshell | Neurodivergent Rebel
Autism – What’s That? | Agony Autie
On Language
The Autistic community prefers identity-first language over person-first ie “Autistic” instead of “with autism.”
Person First vs Identity First Language
Person-First Language: What It Is, and When Not To Use It
Person with autism or autistic person? My problem with “person-first language” for autism
Autistic Person or Person With Autism? – an #ActuallyAutistic Perspective | Neurodivergent Rebel
On Symbols
Most Autistics reject the puzzle piece and prefer the infinity symbol instead.
Puzzle Piece is Hated by the Autistic Community: The History and What to Use Instead | Fierce Autie
Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is a hate group despised within the Autistic community, for good reason.
It’s April, So It’s Time To Argue About Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks : The Time Is Now To Help Clean Up Your Mess
“Sorry, We Already Gave to Autism Speaks,” or The Role of Money in Institutional Ableism
On Functioning Labels
Functioning labels and DSM levels are harmful and ableist and should not be used ie “high/low functioning,” “level 1/2/3” or “Asperger’s/Aspie.”
Why I’m Not a High-Functioning Autistic
Function Labels: And We’re Supposed to be The Awkward Ones…
Don’t Call Me “High Functioning”
The Ridiculousness of Functioning Labels
Asharah Saraswati on Functioning Labels
Autism: A Spectrum
“If you’ve met one Autistic person, you’ve met ONE Autistic person.”
The autism spectrum isn’t linear, going from mild to severe, as commonly misunderstood.
Understanding The Spectrum – A Comic Strip Explanation
It’s A Spectrum – I don’t think it means what you think it means
Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)
ABA is an abusive compliance therapy that is worse than dog training for Autistic children. It encourages masking and scars Autistics for life, be that through PTSD, depression, anxiety, burnout or generally terrible mental health etc.
Ivar Lovaas, the person who founded ABA, used to electrocute (among other things) Autistic kids in order to make them “indistinguishable from their peers.” He took the concept of reward and punishment to a whole new level. According to him, “you start pretty much from scratch when you work with an autistic child. You have a person in the physical sense – they have hair, a nose and a mouth – but they are not people in the psychological sense. One way to look at the job of helping autistic kids is to see it as a matter of constructing a person. You have the raw materials, but you have to build the person.”
#NoToABA #SayNoToABA #BanABA #CriminalizeABA #YesAllABA #ABAisAbuse are informative hashtags.
The Great Big ABA Opposition Resource List
Nonspeakers
Nonspeaking does not equate to unintelligent, nor does it mean the person is “afflicted with severe autism.” Speaking is not a standard to be reached/achieved. There’s nothing wrong with being nonspeaking. There are other modes of communication besides verbal speech. Look into Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
All About AAC: A Guide to Augmentative and Alternative Communication Options!
Communication First focuses on communication rights for nonspeakers.
Stimming
Stimming is like breathing.
~ Neurodivergent Rebel
Stimming ie self-stimulatory movement(s) is a way to express oneself, self regulate, concentrate, release energy, provide sensory input etc. Forcing an Autistic to not stim is taking away their right. There’s nothing wrong or pathological about stimming and it should be encouraged, not discouraged (unless it is harmful).
Stimming – What’s That? | Agony Autie
What is Stimming & Why Do Autistic People Stim? – an Autistic Perspective | Neurodivergent Rebel
Meltdowns
Meltdowns are not tantrums. With tantrums, the child has control over their emotions and actions whereas, with meltdowns, all control is lost due to overload. Meltdowns are a result of sensory/emotional/mental overload, are an explosion of emotion and should not be dismissed or taken lightly.
The Autistic Experience of Sensory Overwhelm, Meltdowns, and Shutdowns
Autistic Meltdowns: From the Inside
Autistic Meltdowns, Shutdowns, & Tantrums, oh my! | Neurodivergent Rebel
Autistic Meltdowns & Overloads – “What’s That?” | Agony Autie
Shutdowns
Simplistically speaking, shutdowns are internal meltdowns ie implosion of emotion.
Autism & Shutdowns – How They Differ from Autistic Meltdowns | Neurodivergent Rebel
Autistic Meltdowns, Shutdowns, & Tantrums, oh my! | Neurodivergent Rebel
Shutdowns – What’s That?! | Agony Autie
The Autistic Experience of Sensory Overwhelm, Meltdowns, and Shutdowns
Masking
Masking is when Autistics appear to be NT and is incredibly harmful. The problem is that if they don’t mask, they’ll be discriminated against for being Autistic but when they do mask, that’s harmful to their mental (and physical) health. #TakeTheMaskOff is a hashtag one can look into.
The Painfully High Price of Autistic Masking – Part 1
The Painfully High Price of Autistic Masking – Part 2
#TakeTheMaskOff – Coping Strategies Taking Off The Mask | Neurodivergent Rebel
Acceptance over Awareness
Autism Acceptance and not Autism Awareness, please. Awareness is nothing without acceptance.
Brief Musings on Autism Awareness vs. Acceptance
Autistic Acceptance vs. Autism Awareness
Acceptance versus Awareness: a brief commentary on the great debate
Empathy
Autistics are NOT “severely lacking” in empathy.
Destroying the “Lack of Empathy” Myth in the Wake of Bleach Enemas & Autistic Abuse
The Dangerous Myth of Autism & Empathy Used to Dehumanize Autistics | Neurodivergent Rebel
Autism and the Problem with Empathy | Not Your Favourite Autistic Pixies
The Double Standards of Ableists
Sensory Processing
Sensory processing differences can are very common among Autistic individuals.
Sensory Survival: Living with hypersensitivity, overwhelm, & meltdowns
Proprioception, interoception, and the vestibular system are 3 senses that it’s best to be aware of.
The Other 3 Senses You Never Knew Existed… But You Should!
Language Matters
As previously said, autism is not an illness or disease, so please avoid using “symptoms.” “Traits” is the word you want to use.
Neurotypicals are Not a Standard for Neurodivergents
Please stop applying NT concepts and standards to ND persons. Stop trying to understand Autistics relative to NTs. Stop viewing normal through the NT lens.
- “Socially unacceptable” – according to NT standards.
- “Cold, dismissive, mean, rude” – according to NT standards because people project their idea of empathic expression onto Autistics
- “Doesn’t like to go social activities” – according to NT standards (some Autistics are and love to be social, they’re just not “appropriately” social according to NT standards or may need accommodations in order to tolerate the environment).
- “No hugs/eye contact/affection” – Some Autistic people avoid eye contact, some don’t. Some avoid physical touch. Others love it. Those who avoid those gestures have legitimate reasons which vary according to their sensory profiles. As for the affection bit, they’re not robots… they just demonstrate affection in different ways.
Presume Competence
Autistics just communicate differently. That doesn’t mean the way they communicate is wrong. NT communication (or being NT) is not a standard NDs should strive to reach. Autistics communicate fine when people learn how to understand their unique language are actually willing to communicate in good faith.
“…we’re not asking for anything we haven’t done for neurotypical people all our lives.” – Sara Gibbs
Autistic People Accommodate Non-Autistic People All The Time
Special Interests
Special interests (or #SpIns) are subjects Autistics are passionate about.
Thank You for the Music: On the autistic joy of pursuing special interests
On Autistic Special Interests and My Love for Plants
Situational Mutism
More commonly known as “selective mutism,” situational mutism is the preferred term as Autistics do not “select”/choose when they go mute.
Is it selective mutism––or chronic catatonia?
Selective Mutism – Just because somebody can’t speak, doesn’t mean they don’t have a voice
Our Journey with Selective Mutism – Bekki Semenova and Stella
Neurodiversally Unbroken’s Facebook Post
I’ve been autistic all along?’s Facebook Post
Harry Thompson’s Discussion with Senka Aileen and Kieran Rose
Autistic, Typing’s Facebook Post
“Special Needs”
Our needs aren’t “special,” they’re human. “Accessibility needs” is a better term and another one is “disabled.” Even alternatives like “differently-abled,” “handicapable,” “different ability” etc. are dismissive of the struggles disabled people face and are just to make abled people feel comfortable when referring to/talking about disabled folks. Disabled/disability isn’t a bad word.
The Neurodivergent Teacher’s Facebook Post
The Neurodivergent Teacher’s Facebook Post
Autism and Neurodiversity in the classroom’s Facebook Post
Spectrum Life ÂÛ – The Actually Autistic Parent’s Facebook Post
#ActuallyAutistic Facebook Pages
Following are links to Autistic pages on Facebook one might like to follow for further information by #ActuallyAutistic people themselves:
Autistic Realizations by Wolfheart
Spectrum Life ÂÛ – The Actually Autistic Parent
Kristy Forbes – Autism & Neurodiversity Support Specialist
Yenn Purkis Neurodiversity Page
Not Your Favourite Autistic Pixies
Labels Go On Soup Cans, Autism Is A Diagnosis. Leah Taylor Official
Autistic Inclusive Meets Community Group AIM
Harry Thompson – PDA Extraordinaire
Speaking of Autism – Quincy Hansen
The Amazing Adventures of AspieGurl V.S. An NT World
In The Loop About Neurodiversity
The Magpie Behind the Mask: Introspections on Neurodiversity
ABA PBS Controversy Autism Discussion UK
World of Neurodiversity: Autism, ADHD, PDA
Autistics and Allies Against ABA & PBS Ireland
Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network
The Prism Cat: Reflections on Neurodiversity
Resilient Chameleon; Authentically Autistic
Autistic Wellbeing Consultancy
Autism and Neurodiversity in the classroom
Faith, Hope, and Love with Autism
Taylor Linloff – Aspirational Autistic
Autistic Allies – Supporting Autistics to be Themselves
Ed Wiley Autism Acceptance Lending Library
PDA Support Page – A collection of PDA related Pages, Groups, Blogs etc
Nothing Left to Lose – A documentary exposing the truth about ABA
Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint
Autistic Resources for Autistic Activists and Allies
Brett J Cole – Autistic Words & Art
Aprender a Quererme – Autista cuestionando paradigmas
Directory of NonSpeaker Pages, Vlogs, & Media
Slideshows, Images, and Infographics from NeuroClastic – Free PDF Downloads
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- HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATTHEW! #GiftMatthewFreedom - August 11, 2020
- Autism 101: Resources from the Autistic community - August 6, 2020
9 Responses
Thank you for this list. So helpful!
I’ve learnt a lot from you Ms Jaime. Thank you!
I’m thinking, “were you reading my mind?” This is great! I’ve seen the mistreatment of kids and adults as a result of their neuro-differences. Having information available for people who are unfamiliar with autism – or who think they understand, but really don’t is great! Personally, I learn every time a read an article from NeuroClastic or other autistic authors. Thank you!
Thanks so much for this. I’ve been reading this blog a ton lately and I think it’s helped me understand a lot about myself and the world that I didn’t before
I would like to add all of wikiHow’s autism articles! We have articles for autistics and loved ones both. (Subcategories are at the bottom.) Many autistic people work on these articles, myself included. There’s a lot of stuff here to help.
https://www.wikihow.com/Category:Autism-Spectrum