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Being Autistic Trainers: AUsome Training Video
Recently I was fortunate to receive an opportunity to join the team of AUsome Training, an Autistic-led organisation based in Ireland. I previously connected with AUsome through several webinars I delivered with them earlier this year. I had a chat last month on Facebook Live with the lovely Evaleen Whelton, the founder of AUsome Training.…
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Autistic Pride Day
Today is Autistic Pride Day. This is a day that was first held back in 2005 by Autistic people. Gwen Nelson, who invented Autistic Pride Day, is also trans, which Autistic people are more likely to identify as. It is a day that was founded to combat stigma and reframe the pathologising narrative in society,…
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Autistic Needs are Human Needs
ID: Beige background with the text ‘Autistic needs are human needs.’ in the middle of the image. ‘@AutisticallyScott’ is displayed at the bottom centre of the image. Autistic needs are human needs. The term ‘special needs’ is still used to define and categorise the needs of Neurodivergent and otherwise disabled people. It is rife with…
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‘Autistic’ is Not Synonymous with ‘Distress’
‘Autistic’ is not synonymous with ‘distress’. Being Autistic does not cause meltdowns, anxiety, or trauma. Usually we are described by how we are “affected by autism” but what we are actually being affected by is the environments we are in and the lack of support we receive. Meltdowns can occur in environments not designed for…
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Striving for a Better World
As we move into a new year, let’s make further steps towards creating a world where Autistic and other Neurodivergent people are valued as being part of human diversity rather than a pathology to fix. To embrace deviations from neuronormativity rather than to treat them as broken or sick. A world that identifies our experiences…
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Heartbreak High: Finally Great Autistic Representation!
A review of the Autistic character Quinni in the Netflix show, Heartbreak High. Representation of Autistic people has been very poor in the media. There are shows like the lead in The Good Doctor, Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory (not confirmed by the creators but who demonstrates stereotypes) Atypical (Netflix show) and of course…