Autism
Recently I have been reading Authoring Autism by Remi Yergeau. It has really been opening my eyes to the use of rhetoric in the construction of narratives surrounding Autistic people, and has very much inspired me to write this. I am an Autistic person. And yet the world treats me
Autistic Rights
Functioning labels have long been hated in the Autistic community. Not only are they wildly inaccurate, but they do not take the dynamic nature of our disability into account. Despite this, many professionals and laypeople continue to use them, or variations on them. Arguments about the inaccuracy of functioning labels
disability
Life is full of ups and downs. My passion in life is helping people climb back from the "downs" into "ups" that often seem impossible at the time. In order to do this, I had to go through a personal hell and walk out the other
disability
This article was co-authored by David Gray-Hammond and Katie Munday Trigger warnings: This article discusses gaslighting, trauma, criminal exploitation (on various topics including sexual exploitation), substance use, mental health, cuckooing, county lines. Due to the extensive trauma that we experience as Autistics in our formative years, many of us find
Mental Health Treatment Rights
This article was co-authored by David Gray-Hammond and Tanya Adkin Trigger Warning: This article contains strong language and discussions of fabricated or induced illness, ableism, discrimination, bigotry, child abuse, medical abuse, systemic abuse, institutionalised bullying. Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII) is defined by a set of "alerting signs"
Neurodiversity
For this commentary to make sense, it may be worth reading my other recent articles on the liminal nature of the neurodiversity movement and the reality of Autopia. My recent articles have all come from my recent preoccupation with creating a utopian neurocosmopolitan society, and I have used my writing
Autistic Rights
At Aucademy we have long talked about our vision of a perfect Autistic utopia, affectionately called "Autopia". The vision is of a collective living scenario, away from the pressures of a world that puts neuronormative standards and culturally accepted neurotypicality, ahead of any neurocognitive type that does not
Society
It has long been accepted that diagnosis is a privilege that many are not afforded. What is not discussed is how diagnosis itself feeds into the pathology paradigm that has surrounded Autistic people since Autism was first conceptualised. Requiring that a person be diagnosed Autistic is in and of itself
Autistic Rights
We've seen it happen countless times in recent years. A person from a marginalised demographic (usually BIPOC, disabled, or a combination of the two) is murdered by a figure of authority. Usually the police, a teacher, or carer. They take lives with impunity. The Internet is rightly outraged.
Mental Health
I am angry. I am beyond angry. I am angry, tired, sad, stressed, and quite frankly, sickened to my core. Since S10k was announced, I have watched as their blithe request for our DNA has traumatised a community that I love beyond measure. My friends and colleagues have poured their
spectrum 10k
Spectrum 10k, what is it? Spectrum 10k is the latest research project to be announced by the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge. It is a collaborative effort with the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of California Los Angeles. On the 24th of August 2021, the Spectrum
Neurodiversity
The world is not okay. We are not okay. Autistic people are not okay, S10k has served as a stark reminder that we are treated as a burden upon not just the people that we love, but society as a whole. Autistic people are subject to woefully inaccurate and outdated