Senior editor Shannon Rosa talks with autistic podcaster Shawn Sullivan of Unheard Voices about what we do here at TPGA: Our passion for debunking autism misinformation, boosting neurodiversity advocacy, and fighting for disability rights. Shawn was a gracious host, and Shannon had a lot of opinions—all of which are correct.
Is it true that AI can diagnose autism?
Short answer: No.
Slightly longer and probably more accurate answer: Not yet.
Maxfield Sparrow talks with researchers Emma Pritchard-Rowe and Jenny Gibson about why autistic types of play (solitary, stimmy, etc.) are not “wrong,” and in fact can have an important function in supporting relaxation and recuperation.
I’m not a fan of “levels of autism.” If an autistic individual makes a personal choice to refer to themselves as one of these levels, I can respect their decision. When it’s imposed meaninglessly by others, it’s too often disastrous.
Autistic people are usually left to our own devices when it comes to navigating a social world defined by non-autistic rules. And when we make social errors, it’s very common to wish to retreat. Here are some (hopefully) comforting guidelines for such situations.
Autistic people tend to benefit from acceptance much more than from awareness, as awareness is passive whereas acceptance is a choice. Here are ten ways you can honor Autism Acceptance, and autistic people of all ages.
If your child is going through Autistic Burnout, they will need your support. They will need your understanding, flexibility, increased sensory regulation time and a decrease in demands both from family and school environments.
The new movie Ezra shows that when autistic people are creatively involved in telling autistic stories, it strengthens not only representation, but the very quality of a film itself.
Next time you are annoyed by an autistic person’s failure to comply or their different way of doing something or seeing the world, stop and consider the power of positive nonconformity and be grateful for those who dare to be different.
Even though the Netflix series Heartbreak High looks like purely soapy fun, Sarah Kapit says it has “the best on-screen depiction of being autistic that I’ve ever seen.”
