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A Maze of Red Tape: My Experience with Benefits and Bureaucracy
Though I was diagnosed as autistic in my infancy and can remember as far back as when I was four years old, I never realized I was different until the second grade, when I was shuffled between special and regular education, when I made the fateful decision to become fully integrated into the...
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Building a Healthcare Transition Program for Autistic Patients Entering Adulthood
The rise in the diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder in youth will mean a rise in the number of adolescents transitioning to adult medical care. 50,000 youth with autism are estimated to enter adulthood each year (Rast et al., 2020) with varying degrees of communication skills, adaptive...
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Embracing Neurodiversity: A Social Revolution of Autism and New Perspectives
Over the past 25 years, I have noticed a movement that has been gaining momentum, aiming to reshape societal views and acceptance of autism and the broader community of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). If I could name this movement, I would call it Embracing...
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Are Therapy and Accommodations Sufficient for Autism Empowerment?
Please note: The terms Aspie, ASD/Neurodivergent, and Autistics will be used to refer to people with Autism. A quick Google search for “supporting” or “empowering” Autistic people brings up pages recounting our impairments and suggested accommodations in education and employment. In the...
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Mask of Your Own Face – Experiences with Masking as an Autistic Adult
Imagine for a moment that you are a kid. As far as you’re aware, you’re like every other kid, but as you go throughout your childhood and adolescence, people start pointing out parts of you that seem a bit…off. Maybe your interests are strange or inappropriate; maybe the way you talk and move...
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Demystifying the Evaluation Process for Your Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Child with Developmental Concerns
Suspecting something may be wrong with your child’s development is a scary thought. It can be confusing as to what one does next. If your child is born with an apparent disability, the pediatrician will refer your infant or toddler to the birth-to-three system, where a team of professionals will...
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What I’d Like to See Change in the Disability World Over the Next 50 Years – Part 3: REAL Culture Change
In 2003, I was about to say “no” to the offer to start what would become GRASP. I had been a minor-league diplomat who, throughout the ten years of working for my organization (if you can believe this…), they had gone through five Executive Directors in one six-year period. Twice, I was...
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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...
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Autism BrainNet: Promoting Understanding of Autism Through Brain Donation
Like every unique person, autistic people contribute to the richness of our experience in the world. But autistic people also face challenges that vary in severity and complexity. The Simons Foundation supports multidisciplinary research into many aspects of autism with the hope that new knowledge...
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The Complexities of Aging: Addressing the Unique Needs of Autistic Elders
Although there is little known about autism and aging, elders nonetheless need appropriate care now. Through learning about appropriate and intentional assessment and treatment, providers and allies can make a big difference, even in small ways. Although autistic traits are seen far back in...
