The State of the Science: On Tokenism in Autism Research
Autism research is a revolving door which Autistic people virtually never get to enter and allistics virtually never bother to exit.
AAC
The Telepathy Tapes Is Such A Hot Mess
The Telepathy Tapes podcast, and its premise of non-speaking autistics not only reading minds but bringing the world messages of love and peace, is a hot, complicated mess—but not for the reasons you may think.
Mastering Violin While Autistic and (Mostly) Nonspeaking: Sid Ramaswamy
I would like to say—believe in us! Please don’t assess our potential based entirely on our outward behavior or what we may not be able to say verbally.
Yes, Multimodal Communication Is Imperative
Many autistic people rely on multimodal communication for accessibility. Kaishawna Fleming discusses why showcasing different forms of communication is so important for disability representation.
April and Accommodations: I Need My Technology to Communicate!
If we say we need a piece of technology, enable that. If a meeting knows I need to use a chat facility for video, enable support for that so that I join in equally.
April and Accommodations: Tell me what to expect in advance!
A small switch in behavior other people can make, to ease the author’s life as an autistic person, is to “Tell me what to expect in advance! Especially for unfamiliar events… and in more detail than you expect I’ll need.”
Jordyn Zimmerman on This Is Not About Me, a Remarkable New Film
Jordyn Zimmerman’s story, as told in the new documentary This Is Not About Me, is an example of how non-speaking autistic people can blossom when communication becomes possible.
The First Tendrils of Communication
I am saying when you plan in advance HOW someone else will communicate, you PLAN what they will communicate—and then it CEASES to be communication.
Finding the Right Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) For Your Autistic Child
After your loved one receives a diagnosis of Autism, people may bombard you with (possibly unsolicited) advice for next steps. One such step you may actually want to consider is to seek the services of a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP).
Why Doesn’t Respect for Communication Diversity Include Nonspeaking Autistic People?
When we are far more willing to believe in the capacity for communication of animals and aliens than we are in that of nonspeaking and intellectually disabled autistic people, and extend our research and creativity towards mutual understanding, no, I have to reject the assertion that “Some autistic people just can’t communicate.”