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Autism Rights, Wrongs, and Acceptance: A Two-Way Street
Though I was diagnosed autistic as an infant, I was unaware I was different until second grade, when I was shuffled between special and regular education classes, when I decided, mostly on my own, that I would transition to mainstream school. While I was a great student throughout my scholastic...
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Unmasking the Mask: Breaking Free from Stigma to Embrace Authentic Autistic Identity
This article explores masking in autism, defined as the practice of suppressing autistic traits to conform to societal expectations. Specifically, it examines how stigma reinforces masking, oftentimes leading to emotional exhaustion and complex mental health struggles. To challenge stigma, this...
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Reframing Pathological Demand Avoidance: A Neurodiversity-Affirming Perspective
Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is an unnecessary and dehumanizing label. It has become frequently mentioned in the autism community as a new diagnostic label often driven by anxiety and a need for control describing adamant refusal of everyday demands, often driven by anxiety and/or need for...
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A Wellness Incentive to Empower Health and Community
There is a plethora of research that has documented the importance of physical activity and wellness interventions specific to the neurodivergent population. A recent meta-analysis of 22 studies that included 763 young adults with ASD indicated that physical activity interventions improved the...
