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Autistic Lived Experience: My Government Is Waging War on Me and on My Community
Not that there has ever been a good time to be autistic, considering how society has pathologized us for decades now because of our differences, though to be autistic and living today in the USA has been particularly punishing in light of the current administration's toxic rhetoric about us and...
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Navigating Autism and Stigma in the Hispanic Community
In many Hispanic and Latino communities, stigma around autism remains a painful barrier to support. From whispered judgments at family gatherings to systemic bias in healthcare settings, families often face an uphill battle to accessing services and feeling supported and understood. Georgina...
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Empathy through Film: Annual Disability Film Festival at Pace University Engages Non-Autistic Students
Colleges do not contribute enough education about autistics. Films about autistics can be effective, however, in impactful learning for non-autistic students. Pace University is doing this by engaging non-autistic students through an annual Celebration of People with Disabilities in Art, Films and...
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Living at Home as an Autistic Adult: When Society Confuses Support with Failure
While many neurotypical adults move away from home at some point in their 20s, many autistic adults like me may live at home well into their later adult years (Marsack-Topolewski et al., 2021). This isn’t because we’re failing but rather because we need more time to reach our various milestones...
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Scientific Setbacks: Medical Stigma and Political Interference Threaten Autism Healthcare
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently said many autistic children were “fully functional” and “regressed … into autism when they were 2 years old. And these are kids who will never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll...
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Research Meets Reality TV: How the Media Stigmatizes Autism and Why it Matters
Depictions of autism in the media—whether fictional or nonfictional—influence the wider public’s perception of autism, both positively and negatively. Two of the more well-known portrayals of autism are Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory as well Raymond Babbitt, the historically common...
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The Neurodiversity Movement: Promoting Acceptance and Understanding Through Employee Resource Groups
Devereux is known for its 112-year history of providing compassionate, evidence-based clinical care and treatment of neurodiverse individuals. The nonprofit is equally committed to fostering a welcoming workplace environment for its employees, many of whom are also neurodivergent. One way...
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Bridging the Gap: Improving Health Care Access for Autistic Patients
People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face significant health care disparities and stigma in accessing appropriate care, contributing to markedly reduced life expectancy. Research indicates that autistic individuals experience premature mortality at rates two to ten times higher than the...
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Increasing Autism Awareness and Reducing the Stigma of Autism in China
Autism Awareness Month, mandated by the United Nations (UN), provides an opportunity for scholars, community service providers, and the broader public to come together to increase community knowledge of autism. These events may help to reduce the stigma that surrounds this complex...
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Insights from Amy Gravino: Autism and Sexuality Awareness and Advocacy
For millennia, sexuality has remained one of the most stigmatized and overlooked topics in the autism community, particularly when it comes to autistic adults. This stigma largely stems from decades of misinformation and a lack of understanding. In this interview, I speak with leading autism...
