-
What Neurodiversity Means to This Late-Identified Autistic Adult
I lived the first 40 years of my life as an autistic individual who didn’t know it yet. In a sense, lost because I lacked a complete picture of who I was. Confused because I faced too many questions as to why I was contending with challenges that were foreign to just about all of my peers, which...
-
Bridging the Gap: Advancing Research and Services for Autistic Adults
Several factors have led to a general improvement in the outcomes of children and adolescents as they become adults. Both earlier diagnosis and better treatments play important roles in this improved outcome, although it must also be noted that a minority of individuals remain significantly...
-
Three Artists with Autism. Three Voices with Purpose: Laura Nadine, Blair Bunting, and Stuart Neilson
Artists invite their audiences into conversation. A piece of music, a photograph, a painting—each is a personal statement created to connect emotionally or intellectually with listeners and viewers. These expressions and the methods used to create them are shaped by lived experiences, some...
-
Prioritizing Autistic-Centered Self-Care for Mental Health and Well-Being
I could never relate to most social media posts with self-care ideas, especially the ones showing nails getting done or drinking wine in a bathtub. The thought of going to a beauty salon has always given me anxiety, and baths were never my thing. I couldn’t really find self-care tips or ideas...
-
Strategies for Autistic Adults to Achieve Greater Independence and Well-Being
The transition from childhood to adulthood can be a scary and difficult life experience for most people. It can be even more challenging for those diagnosed with autism and their families. This phase of life brings a blend of excitement and uncertainty, and the road to achieving greater...
-
The Autism Theater Project’s “The Voice Inside”: Changing Lives and the Entertainment Industry
My name is Gena Sims. When I was 18 years old, God gave me this vision. I was in my room, thinking about how isolated families in the autism community can feel. I thought of my sister’s fears that the kids on the playground wouldn’t understand her. I saw my family’s struggles to celebrate...
-
Establishing and Promoting Self-Care Within a Human Service Agency
In an industry faced with post-pandemic staffing shortages, the question of how to promote self-care and decrease burnout among autism service providers has become more critical than ever before. Burnout can be defined as a work-related illness that results from ongoing psychological stress (Leoni...
-
Unspoken Injuries: Supporting Health Professionals Coping With Client Loss
“I was delighted to get my first consultant job working in an in-patient [psychiatric] unit… In my second week, I had my first patient die by suicide. In my third week, I had my second patient die by suicide. In my third month, there was a very distressing…death by suicide on the...
-
The Case for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Sensory Processing in Autistic Young Adults
In my career as a clinical service provider for Autistic young adults, I have seen how understanding the senses can impact one’s emotions. It is so important to be aware of how Autistic people learn, communicate, and think with all of their senses. Recently, The DSM-5TR has included “sensory...
-
The Role of Mental Health Treatment for Autistic Individuals
Mental health treatment is an integral, yet often overlooked, component in the constellation of supports that surround individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Common mental health supports include case management, therapeutic groups to increase social-emotional learning, and...
