How Developing a Freelance Brand Changed My Career

One thing I never expected in my professional life was creating a freelance brand that empowers me. I originally developed it as a way to showcase my talents, much like a website portfolio. I’ve always blended my lived experiences with my professional interests; human services and special...

Navigating Change on the Autism Spectrum: My Journey to Grad School

When you live life on the autism spectrum, it’s easy to become so used to your own patterns that you miss the problems those patterns cause. You fail to see the obstacles that keep tripping you up, and why. I want to share a story of my own pitfalls when it comes to the autistic aversion to...

It Is Time to Remove Stigma from Autism Interventions

Historically, autism has been blamed for the challenges autistic people face. Struggling to stay in school? Get a job? Make friends? “It's because of the autism.” The belief is this: If autistic people are trained to behave like someone without autism, they will face fewer challenges. Under...

Medicaid Cuts Will Put People Like Me at Risk

My name is Jimmy Tucker. I have a learning disability, and I am on the autism spectrum. In school and in adult life, I never felt like I fit in. I’ve always felt different, and that made things harder for me. But Medicaid-funded programs have helped me find my way. These are the supports I rely...

The Autistic Guide to Small Talk

Small talk is often declared the bane of existence to those on the spectrum everywhere. An inane social ritual where you’re expected to exchange obvious facts about the weather and be happier for it. But small talk is your foot in the door for communication. If you’re trying to branch out...

Tips for Autistic Adults Navigating Full-Time Employment

Full-time employment is not something that is usually discussed in autism circles. When I was initially part-time, I had no idea how it looked at. All I knew was that I needed a full-time job to make a living, and it allowed others to pay for larger quality of life investments like homes or getting...

Why I Made the Difficult Decision to Not Have Children

In the last year, I have accomplished a lot. More than I used to think I could do in my life. I made a life decision never to have kids. I underwent a procedure to keep from getting pregnant. I have become a confident woman. I know what I want in my life. My decision is based on childhood...

The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Transition and Adult Programs at UM-NSU CARD: Creating Employment Through Community Collaboration

The University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (UM-NSU CARD), established by Florida statute in 1993, currently serves over 14,500 families in South Florida. Our program offers a variety of programs and services at no cost to our constituents and...

Guidelines for a More Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice for Autism

This article came out of discussions between the authors about guidelines for a more neurodiversity-affirming practice for autism. The training that is discussed in this article was developed by the first author (Rebecca Rosenzweig). Authors’ note: As an autistic person working in a...

Developing Confidence and Standing Up for Myself

After I lost my mom to dementia, I had very little confidence in myself. I had no voice. People would express their opinions and I would never tell others my perspective because I had no confidence. I could not stand up for myself. If I tried, I would wind up crying instead. I let myself get...