What is Autism? It can depend on who you talk to.
However there is a general agreement around a number of varying sensory and neurological differences between autistic individuals and the general population.
There's a type of diversity you might not know about; neurodiversity.
These varying sensory and neurological differences present themselves in a variety of ways. If you have talked to one autistic person, you have talked to one autistic person the saying goes.
Some of them are invisible and hidden, others are not. Stimming is one example of an autistic trait. This is done to help aid in focus and ensure understanding, to alleviate a stressful situation.
Stimming and physical movement
with heightened senses comes a heightened need to regulate them in day to day life, enter stimming. While some activities are habit forming and some are not, the method of stimming can change over time, however it is understood that the need to regulate the nervous system is part of natural human needs.
one way to think of stimming is to consider a paper cut, in the initial moment after it happens, one might react in a certain way seemingly involuntary.
what can stimming look like?
What are some misconceptions about autism?
Why everything you know about autism is wrong | Jac den Houting | TEDxMacquarieUniversityHistory of Autism in Policy and Public Media
In 2006, Congress passed the Combating Autism Act. When President George W. Bush signed the bill into law, he said, “I am proud to sign this bill into law and confident that it will serve as an important foundation for our Nation’s efforts to find a cure for autism.” The law’s bipartisan passage was a year after Autism Speaks was founded by Bob and Suzanne Wright in response to their grandson Christian’s autism diagnosis. Autism was entering the public discourse and becoming a cause for mobilization by elites. But this push has not made autistic people’s lives better.
Why are Autistic people using #ActuallyAutistic on social media?
it is a paradigm shift in the Autism rights movement, dominated for so long by the parents of Autistic children, leaving actually Autistic people feeling unheard.
it is also a great resource for new parents to learn about autism:
What is Neurodiversity?
Coined in the late 1990s by Judy Singer :
"I am recognized for coining the word “Neurodiversity” as an addition to the categories of Intersectionality and to call for a Politics of Neurodiversity. The term named the movement for advancing the recognition, positive re-evaluation and inclusion of neurological minorities with conditions such as Aspergers Syndrome, Autism, ADHD and the "Dys" Abilities.
This movement is now gathering momentum. There is now a proliferation of self-advocacy groups and business startups capitalising on a climate of interest in the benefits and justice of including neurodivergent people. And major corporations and government agencies are implementing neurodiversity policies.
Nevertheless there is considerable confusion about the term and its implications.
I am looking for further opportunities to promote a nuanced understanding of this phenomenon whose time has come. I am available for consultations explaining the concept and navigating its risks and benefits. I am becoming known as a though-provoking keynote speaker at major international academic and business conferences
Background in IT, project work, postgrad qualifications in social sciences and journalism. Certified in Training and Assessment. Strengths in written communications and community development via social media. Extensive and varied experience in government, NGOs, major corporations."
Medical Model and Social Model - How society values its members
Interest Based Nervous System in Autism and ADHD
NowThis News: Human Neurodiversity Should Be Celebrated, Not Treated as a Disorder | Op-Ed |
One in 59 children are identified with autism spectrum disorders and millions of children have been diagnosed with ADHD in the U.S. — yet psychologist Devon MacEachron, PhD believes that there is too little attention given to enabling people with neurologically different minds. “Neurological differences like autism or ADHD are considered to be dysfunctional, disorders, and disabilities under the medical model of mental health,” she explained. “When most of us think of diversity, we think of things like race or sexual orientation. But there’s a different kind of diversity you might not know about: neurodiversity.” Neurodiversity is the concept that neurological differences among people should be recognized and respected, and Dr. MacEachron thinks it’s time for this movement to take off. “Neurodiversity is a part of our genetics and our evolution as a species,” she explained. “The genes for autism and ADHD are not errors, but rather the result of variations in the human genome that have and will continue to have advances for society.” Dr. MacEachron’s vision is for a neurodiversity-tolerant and accepting society that celebrates people’s differences, rather than antagonizing them. Instead of changing to fit other people’s ideas of normal, children who are wired a bit differently should be encouraged to find their place in the world where they feel they fit.
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