The diagnostic criteria for autism obscure the Autistic lived experience of toxic cultural norms that are ultimately detrimental for all people. Depathologisation of Autistic people as demanded by Autistic rights activists does not negate being socially disabled, and need not prevent anyone from gaining access to appropriate means of communication and other forms of social support.
On Monday, July 25th at 1 pm Eastern Time, the NeuroClastic team goes live with a former JRC Center worker for an interview. Join us!
Join Autistic people from all over the world, committed to the de-stigmatisation of Autistic ways of being and other forms of neurodivergence, in support of the development and delivery of education about Autistic culture, the neurodiversity paradigm, and the neurodiversity movement – for medical professionals, by Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent people.
Discrimination against Autistic people is comparable to the level of discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people 50 years ago. In this environment, obtaining a diagnosis can be an invitation for potential abuse and exploitation.
The cultural bias that is baked into the pathologising framing of the diagnostic process compounds the trauma and perpetuates internalised ableism. We urgently need to educate healthcare professionals and the wider public about the neurodiversity paradigm, the neurodiversity movement, and Autistic culture.
This article by Annie Kotowicz of Neurobeautiful explores Brontë’s Jane Eyre as autistic. By interpreting Jane as an autistic character, readers can gain insight into the complex thinking that drives autistic actions.
Autistic elder David Chin spent life dealing with depression and masking. At age 55, life’s difficult mysteries came into focus when he was diagnosed with autism, giving him the tools to arrange his life to suit his neurology.
Following the trail of where Hans Asperger picked up the term autism I ended up reading a fascinating 1919 German book by Eugen Bleuler titled ‘Autistic and undisciplined thinking in medicine, and how to overcome it’. The content is not at all what you would think. The sands of pathologisation have shifted significantly.
Understanding about autism in adults is sparse. Many psychologists and psychiatrists receive only a single paragraph of education about autism in all of grad school, creating a human rights crisis for undiagnosed adults.
The most frequently-used screening measurement for autistic adults is the Autism Spectrum Quotient, or the AQ. But can it be reliable?
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