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Zoning for Neuro-Inclusive Communities: Challenges, Foundations, and Lessons Learned
Across the United States, there’s a growing focus on making communities more inclusive for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. This shift reflects a broader commitment to ensuring that all residents, regardless of their needs, can find supportive and accessible living...
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Cultural Autism Studies at Yale: A Revolution
I have always been sensitive to cultures around me, especially those that remain largely silent or unseen. As a child, I would spend hours watching how crawdads moved together, what dances turtles did when they communicated, and what joy interactive playing brought to jumping spiders - every facet...
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Empowering Autistic Communities: The Role of Co-Creation in Research Partnerships
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...
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Creating Autism-Friendly Workplaces: Strategies for Inclusivity and Success
Creating autism-friendly environments in workplaces involves implementing strategies that accommodate the unique needs of autistic individuals, fostering inclusivity, and improving overall workplace productivity. Research and expert opinions emphasize the importance of clear communication,...
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Navigating Career Pathways: Challenges and Opportunities for Autistic Individuals
It is, indeed, not easy for many people to make sense of the job market, but often, additional obstacles make autistic people’s lives much more challenging. With both finding a job and sustaining it, and at every level of the employment process, we face challenges which, unfortunately, may affect...
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Autistic Resilience: Overcoming Adversity Through Self-Care and Strengths
I could say ‘Adversity’ was my middle name, but I’d be lying… it’s Rae. Still, like so many other autistic people, adversity has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Research has validated that claim by saying autistic people have an increased risk of experiencing...
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Navigating the Later Stages of Life with Autism and Aging
Something that we as a community have yet to fully turn our attention to is the question of “how do we help our autistic elders thrive and live in dignity as they age?” As a late-diagnosed autistic woman, I am a pretty good example of what growing up and growing old without any...
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Navigating Sex as an Autistic Adult
It has long been thought that autistic adults desire sex at a lower rate than the general population, and recent research has shown this to be an incorrect assumption seeded with infantilization (Weir et al., 2021). Although autistic adults often need accommodations to be made regarding sensory...
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Real Boys Cry: Gus Walz, Neurodiversity, and the Fight for Disability Rights
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...
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Exploring Autism Traits Among Jeopardy Contestants
The popular television quiz show Jeopardy requires contestants to have broad trivia knowledge. As rote memorization is a common strength among individuals with High-Functioning Autism (HFA), it is of interest as to whether Jeopardy contestants have higher symptomology of HFA than the general...
