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Wellbeing as a Protective Factor: Reducing Stigma and Centering Joy
There’s a deeply ingrained belief in our society, rarely said aloud but often reinforced, that autistic people can’t be happy. It shows up in lowered expectations, social exclusion, and systems that treat disability as a barrier to flourishing. This message is at the core of stigma, and it’s...
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The Neurodiversity Movement: Promoting Acceptance and Understanding
Diversity is a cornerstone of human society, encompassing the range of identities, experiences, and backgrounds people bring to their communities. This includes differences in ability, race, gender, age, and more. For people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD), diversity also...
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A Two-Way Street: Society and the Neurodiverse Community
Over 50 years ago, there were several theories in the area of social psychology put forth that I have been thinking more about lately. Like vinyl records, Polaroid cameras, and fanny packs, they can be worth pulling out and reexamining in order to help illuminate the complicated process of how...
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Neurodiversity is the New Trend!
Despite the fact that I managed to successfully earn my PhD while also managing to earn multiple awards as both a researcher and an author, I still find it mind-boggling when I’m given a puzzled look when I state that I am a Neurodiverse learner. Yet, whenever I say I grew up receiving special...
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Breaking My 33-Year Silence: Living with Autism and Finding Acceptance
As we celebrate World Autism Awareness/Acceptance Day, I feel compelled to share a story I have kept private for thirty-three years—not just to raise awareness but to advocate for a world that respects neurodiversity. For most of my life, I have witnessed others define autism from the outside...
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Voices from China: Psychology Students Reflect on Autism Awareness and Advocacy
Wenzhou-Kean University is one of three Sino-US universities, with Kean University being the only public university that has a campus in China (Stern, 2024). The mission of this alliance is to foster cooperation and encourage people, especially youth, to get to know each other better (Zhang, 2024)....
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Exploring the Overlooked Connections: Sensory Processing Impairments and Communication Challenges in Autism Spectrum Disorders
(Note: “Aspie” is my preferred term for people on the Autism Spectrum) Effective communication is the foundation of strong relationships and personal growth. Sensory and emotional processing disorders affect children on the Autism Spectrum and may persist into adulthood, affecting all...
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Beyond Words: Overcoming Barriers to Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for Autistic Individuals
Key Points: Speech-language pathologists work to enhance communication and independence in autistic individuals through the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) AAC tools. Challenges to using AAC include lack of knowledge, negative attitudes, financial and time...
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Just Because We Can Mask Doesn’t Mean We Don’t Need Support as Autistic Adults
We spend a lot of time in the Autism community focused on children and how to support their needs. I admit this is the focus of my career, but we sometimes forget that autistic children become autistic adults. And while progress is often made as autistic people age and mature, there will often...
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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...
