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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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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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Helping Autistic Teens Thrive: Shifting the Focus from Stigma to Strength
In recent years, our understanding of autism has grown. Yet, despite this progress, many autistic individuals—especially teens—continue to face negative stigmas and outdated assumptions (Turnock & Langley, 2023). Adolescence is already a time of major change and self-discovery, and for...
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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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Autism Laws and Policies: How Legal Protections Can Prevent Stigmatization and Support Advocacy Efforts
Over the past 50 years, autism laws and policies have supported the needs and rights of individuals living with autism spectrum disorder. They have protected access to healthcare, education, employment, housing, and community integration. The lives of people with autism have been improved; their...
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More Than Work: Autism, Stigma, and the Power of Belonging
What could karaoke possibly have to do with autism and workplace stigma? We’ll get to that, but first, allow us to explain what we do for a living. We are both privileged to work in the Employment Program at an agency called Job Path, where we match people with autism and other disabilities...
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Unmasking the Mask: Breaking Free from Stigma to Embrace Authentic Autistic Identity
This article explores masking in autism, defined as the practice of suppressing autistic traits to conform to societal expectations. Specifically, it examines how stigma reinforces masking, oftentimes leading to emotional exhaustion and complex mental health struggles. To challenge stigma, this...
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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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Behind the Behavior: Stigma, Misunderstanding, and the Emerging Profile of Pathological Demand Avoidance
“Stigma is the process by which the reaction of others spoils normal identity.” - Erving Goffman When a child resists instruction, lashes out under pressure, or refuses school altogether, the dominant narrative still points toward oppositional defiance, behavioral reinforcement systems, or a...
