Navigating Autistic Shutdown and Burnout Through a Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach

• By: Jessica C. Kitchens, MS, MBA, LPC, LADAC, RPT, MAC, BCCS Allied Collaborative and University of Central Arkansas
• April 4th, 2025
• burnout, executive dysfunction, masking, neurodiversity, self-care, sensory overload, shutdown, Spring 2025 Issue, therapy, trauma, treatments
• 139    0

(Note: This article is written in neurodiversity-affirming language, including identity-first language) Autistic shutdown is a widely recognized but poorly understood neurological response to overwhelming stress. Despite its significance, research on shutdown remains scarce, with most scholarly...

Empowering Autistic Communities: The Role of Co-Creation in Research Partnerships

• By: Celeste Michaud, PhD University of Arkansas-Fayetteville Jessica C. Kitchens, MS, MBA, LPC, LADAC, RPT, MAC, BCCS Allied Collaborative and University of Central Arkansas
• October 4th, 2024
• accommodations, actually autistic, community, Fall 2024 Issue, leadership, neurodiversity, research, self-advocacy
• 1225    0

Participatory research is an approach that can empower autistic community members through the co-creation of knowledge, addressing power imbalances, and fostering meaningful collaboration between autistic community members and academic researchers (Stack & McDonald, 2018). By actively involving...