Real Boys Cry: Gus Walz, Neurodiversity, and the Fight for Disability Rights

• By: Robert Naseef, PhD Clinical Psychologist, Author, and Parent of an Adult Autistic Son
• September 6th, 2024
• ableism, disability rights, empathy, Fall 2024 Issue, neurodiversity, social justice
• 1074    0

It was a heartwarming viral moment that many will never forget. As the father of Tariq, my adult son with autism who is nonspeaking, it struck a deep chord in me. Most men have grown up with the maxim that “Big Boys Don’t Cry.” Breaking that traditional masculine model with exuberant cheers...

We Are All on the Same Side: Unite the Spectrum

• By: Robert Naseef, PhD Clinical Psychologist, Author, and Parent of an Adult Autistic Son Stephen M. Shore, EdD Clinical Associate Professor of Special Education, Author, and Autistic Individual Adelphi University
• April 12th, 2024
• acceptance, access to services, action, actually autistic, advocacy, appreciation, awareness, division, empowerment, human rights, labels, language, neurodiversity, personalized services, Spring 2024 Issue, unity
• 2094    3

We are writing to explain why we do not need more labels to describe autism. We, the authors, became acquainted with each other in 1996 through a common mentor, Stanley Klein, the editor of Exceptional Parent Magazine, when we each published our first books: Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences...

Don’t Divide the Autism Spectrum: Unite the Whole Community

• By: Robert Naseef, PhD Clinical Psychologist, Author, and Parent of an Adult Autistic Son
• August 21st, 2023
• access to services, autism acceptance, labels, language, neurodiversity, opinion, profound autism, severe autism
• 1339    0

Despite clear alternatives, some prominent voices in the autism world, whom I wrote about in November, are continuing to push for a new category which they are calling “Profound Autism.” They are completely ignoring Autistic voices. The Autism Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), “has continually...

Let’s NOT Divide the Autism Spectrum: My View From the Trenches on “Profound Autism”

• By: Robert Naseef, PhD Clinical Psychologist, Author, and Parent of an Adult Autistic Son Michael John Carley New York University Connections ASD Program
• November 29th, 2022
• fathers, labels, language, neurodiversity, nonspeaking, opinion, profound autism, stereotypes, support groups
• 2422    1

Editor’s Note: Autism Spectrum News strives to be an inclusive voice for the Autism community by presenting articles that promote discussion and advancement. This article is a response to Alison Singer’s article It’s Time to Embrace ‘Profound Autism’, published by Spectrum on October...