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An explorative guide for women to help them work through the challenges arising from late autism discovery including understanding past behaviours, accessing support and developing a positive identity. Interweaving stories of lived experience with practical activities, this is the ideal dip-in/dip-out guide to achieving autistic self-acceptance.

'It's time we bring forward Black autistic pain points and celebrate the triumphs of ourselves, family members, and organizations that care for these individuals. Through following the real stories of others from around the world, I hope fellow Black and autistic individuals will be empowered to realize that being Black and autistic is enough.'In this powerful insight into the lives of Black autistic people, Kala Allen Omeiza brings together a community of voices from across the world, spanning religions, sexuality and social economic status to provide a deep and rich understanding of what it means to be autistic and Black.Exploring everything from self-love and appreciation, to the harsh realities of police brutality, anti-Black racism, and barriers to care, as well as amplifying the voices of the inspiring advocates who actively work towards change, protection, and acceptance for themselves and others, this book is an empowering force, reminding you that as a Black autistic person, you are enough.

This expanded second edition of Mitzi Waltz's Autism: A Social and Medical History offers an in-depth examination of how the condition was perceived before it became a separate area of investigation, and how autism has been conceptualised and treated since. As well as strengthening the existing text, Waltz has added material on a number of topics that have received increased attention since the first edition, including the rise of the anti-vaccination movement, the shift towards genetic and genomic research, and the progress of the autism self-advocacy movement. The author examines these issues through the perspective of what they mean for autistic people, clinicians and society, and looks at the challenges still faced by autistic people. Waltz also looks at the increased autism diagnosis among girls and women, and how autism has been represented in traditional media and social media. The book includes information from interviews with key researchers, parents of autistic children and people with autism.

This handbook provides an authoritative and up-to-date overview of Critical Autism Studies and explores the different kinds of knowledges and their articulations, similarities, and differences across cultural contexts and key tensions within this subdiscipline. Critical Autism Studies is a developing area occupying an exciting space of development within learning and teaching in higher education. It has a strong trajectory within the autistic academic and advocate community in resistance and response to the persistence of autism retaining an identity as a genetic disorder of the brain. Divided into four parts • Conceptualising autism • Autistic identity • Community and culture • Practice and comprising 24 newly commissioned chapters written by academics and activists, it explores areas of education, Critical Race Theory, domestic violence and abuse, sexuality, biopolitics, health, and social care practices. It will be of interest to all scholars and students of disability studies, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, education, health, social care, and political science.

A deep dive into the spectrum of Autistic experience and the phenomenon of masked Autism, giving individuals the tools to safely uncover their true selves while broadening society's narrow understanding of neurodiversity“A remarkable work that will stand at the forefront of the neurodiversity movement.”—Barry M. Prizant, PhD, CCC-SLP, author of Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing AutismFor every visibly Autistic person you meet, there are countless “masked” Autistic people who pass as neurotypical. Masking is a common coping mechanism in which Autistic people hide their identifiably Autistic traits in order to fit in with societal norms, adopting a superficial personality at the expense of their mental health. This can include suppressing harmless stims, papering over communication challenges by presenting as unassuming and mild-mannered, and forcing themselves into situations that cause severe anxiety, all so they aren't seen as needy or “odd.” In Unmasking Autism, Dr. Devon Price shares his personal experience with masking and blends history, social science research, prescriptions, and personal profiles to tell a story of neurodivergence that has thus far been dominated by those on the outside looking in. For Dr. Price and many others, Autism is a deep source of uniqueness and beauty. Unfortunately, living in a neurotypical world means it can also be a source of incredible alienation and pain. Most masked Autistic individuals struggle for decades before discovering who they truly are. They are also more likely to be marginalized in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, class, and other factors, which contributes to their suffering and invisibility. Dr. Price lays the groundwork for unmasking and offers exercises that encourage self-expression, including:• Celebrating special interests• Cultivating Autistic relationships• Reframing Autistic stereotypes• And rediscovering your valuesIt's time to honor the needs, diversity, and unique strengths of Autistic people so that they no longer have to mask—and it's time for greater public acceptance and accommodation of difference. In embracing neurodiversity, we can all reap the rewards of nonconformity and learn to live authentically, Autistic and neurotypical people alike.

Access. Inclusion. Diversity. All people deserve to be embraced by their community. Autism Friendly Cities: How to Create an Inclusive Community is the first book designed to guide city leadership and staff through the processes of training and evaluation, development, and implementation of an Autism Friendly initiative that will help you open your doors to everyone.People with autism should be able to participate in all that is offered and facilitated by their city, including services, activities, events, and points of connection. Being an Autism Friendly City is not only socially responsible, it will improve engagement, outreach, economic development, and resident satisfaction.

The #ActuallyAutistic Guide to Advocacy takes an in-depth look at the key elements of effective, respectful, inclusive advocacy and allyship. Every topic was chosen, shaped, and informed by #ActuallyAutistic perspectives. The step-by-step guide discusses various aspects of how autism is perceived, explores how best to speak up for individual needs, and introduces advocacy for the wider autistic community. Each step outlines one vital aspect of advocacy and allyship, such as emphasizing acceptance, avoiding assumptions and assuming competence. The advice and strategies laid out in this guide center the wisdom and experiences of Autistic people and enable the reader to confidently speak up with insight and understanding.

What does it mean to say that someone is autistic? Dynamics of Autism is an exploration of this question and many more. In this thoughtful, wide-ranging book, Kristien Hens examines a number of perspectives on autism, including psychiatric, biological, and philosophical, to consider different ways of thinking about autism, as well as its meanings to those who experience it, those who diagnose it, and those who research it. Hens delves into the history of autism and its roots in the work of Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger to inform a contemporary ethical analysis of the models we use to understand autism today. She explores the various impacts of a diagnosis on autistic people and their families, the relevance of disability studies, the need to include autistic people fully in discussions about (and research on) autism, and the significance of epigenetics to future work on autism. Hens weaves together a variety of perspectives that guide the reader in their own ethical reflections about autism. Rich, accessible, and multi-layered, this essential reading for for philosophers, educational scientists, and psychologists who are interested in philosophical-ethical questions related to autism, but it also has much to offer to teachers, allied health professionals, and autistic people themselves.

Au départ, l'enjeu de ce travail était d'explorer, à partir de la question de la sensorialité, la relation à la nature et aux animaux de personnes porteuses du syndrome d'Asperger, par entretiens et enquêtes ethnographiques. Cette recherche a cependant dépassé son objectif initial : en effet, lorsque les autistes prennent la parole, ils parlent davantage de la société que de l'autisme. S'intéresser à la perspective des personnes autistes amène à déconstruire certaines évidences des cultures occidentales.Leur intelligence différente, marquée par un surfonctionnement perceptif, les amène à porter un autre regard, un regard oblique, sur l'être humain et sa place dans le règne animal et à dénoncer les incohérences du monde moderne tenu pour responsable de la destruction de la planète.

In this collection of beautiful and raw essays, Amy S. F. Lutz writes openly about her experience—the positive and the negative—as a mother of a now twenty-one-year-old son with severe autism. Lutz's human emotion drives through each page and challenges commonly held ideas that define autism either as a disease or as neurodiversity. We Walk is inspired by her own questions: What is the place of intellectually and developmentally disabled people in society? What responsibilities do we, as citizens and human beings, have to one another? Who should decide for those who cannot decide for themselves? What is the meaning of religion to someone with no abstract language? Exploring these questions, We Walk directly—and humanly—examines social issues such as inclusion, religion, therapeutics, and friendship through the lens of severe autism. In a world where public perception of autism is largely shaped by the'quirky geniuses'featured on television shows like The Big Bang Theory and The Good Doctor, We Walk demands that we center our debates about this disorder on those who are most affected by its impacts.

Autism 360 uses a hybrid and transdisciplinary methodology to identify mechanisms on how autism is prevented, diagnosed, treated and managed within personal and social constructs around the world. Adopting a lifespan approach, the book discusses lifestyle challenges and emphasizes issues relating to neurodiversity, individuality, best practices, and support of both people on the spectrum and their families. This book will help change population and individual attitudes and behaviors regarding autism. Its ultimate goal is to empower readers to become both agents of change and an integral part of the solution. - Covers topics from the prevention and treatment of autism and how to live with it - Adopts an integrated methods approach - Features field experiences - Provides valuable syntheses of scattered material - Compares cross-cultural learnings - Discusses the education and employment of those with autism

Autism is a complex phenomenon that is both individual and social. Showing both robust similarities and intriguing differences across cultural contexts, the autism spectrum raises innumerable questions about self, subjectivity, and society in a globalized world. Yet it is often misrepresented as a problem of broken bodies and disordered brains. So, in 2015, a group of interdisciplinary scholars gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for an intellectual experiment: a workshop that joined approaches from psychological anthropology to the South American tradition of Collective Health in order to consider autism within social, historical, and political settings. This book is the product of the ongoing conversation emerging from this event. It contains a series of comparative histories of autism policy in Italy, Brazil, and the United States; focuses on issues of voice, narrative, and representation in autism; and examines how the concept of autism shapes both individual lives and broader social and economic systems. Featuring contributions from:Michael BakanBenilton BezerraPamela BlockM. Ariel Cascio Jurandir Freire CostaBárbara Costa AndradaCassandra EvansElizabeth Fein Clara Feldman Roy Richard GrinkerRossano LimaFrancisco OrtegaDawn Prince-HughesClarice Rios Laura Sterponi Thomas S. WeisnerEnrico Valtellina

AWKWARD: The Social Dos and Don'ts of Being a Young Adult breaks down family, friends, work, and community social situations to help provide tips on socially acceptable behavior in everyday situations. Each situation includes examples of dos and don'ts that related to different perspectives and learning styles. The'do'section is intended to teach specific actions that can be performed to help a situation go well, and the'don't'section is intended to help teach people which actions to avoid in order to prevent awkward or unpleasant interactions.

War on Autism examines autism as a historically specific and powerladen cultural phenomenon that has much to teach about the social organization of a neoliberal western modernity. Bringing together a variety of interpretive theoretical perspectives including critical disability studies, queer and critical race theory, and cultural studies, the book analyzes the social significance and productive effects of contemporary discourses of autism as these are produced and circulated in the field of autism advocacy. Anne McGuire discusses how in the field of autism advocacy, autism often appears as an abbreviation, its multiple meanings distilled to various “red flag” warnings in awareness campaigns, bulleted biomedical ”facts” in information pamphlets, or worrisome statistics in policy reports. She analyzes the relationships between these fragmentary enactments of autism and traces their continuities to reveal an underlying, powerful, and ubiquitous logic of violence that casts autism as a pathological threat that advocacy must work to eliminate. Such logic, McGuire contends, functions to delimit the role of the “good” autism advocate to one who is positioned “against” autism.

Written by the students of Limpsfield Grange School for girls with autism, M is for Autism is a truly authentic coming-of-age novel that shows what it's really like to grow up feeling a bit different. Why is being normal so easy for everyone else? Will finally getting a label help M to make sense of it all? What does normal even mean anyway?

Neuf thèmes clés sont approfondis dans cet ouvrage faisant l'état des connaissances sur le trouble du spectre de l'autisme: la nomenclature, l'étiologie, la prévalence et le diagnostic; les aspects liés à la santé physique et psychologique; la famille; les interventions à la petite enfance; les milieux de garde éducatifs; le milieu scolaire; les défis de l'adolescence; la vie adulte; la reconnaissance des droits, les lois, les politiques et les orientations ministérielles.

This book contextualizes autism as a socio cultural phenomenon, and examines the often troubling effects of representations and social trends. Exploring the individuals and events in the history of this condition, Waltz blends research and personal perspectives to examine social narratives of normalcy, disability and difference.

In this moving and intelligent book John Gillibrand, an Anglican priest, draws on his experience of caring for his non-verbal son, Adam, who has autism and is now a teenager. He reflects on how the experience has changed not just his life, but also his whole way of thinking about theology, politics and philosophy.

Bullying is a serious and pervasive issue for people with autism and Asperger Syndrome. This photocopiable workbook encourages adults who have been involved with bullying - as either victims or perpetrators - to explore what bullying is, the effects it can have and how it can be tackled successfully. In this accessible and jargon-free book, with a wealth of case studies and summaries, readers are invited to consider the thoughts, feelings and actions associated with bullying and offered helpful strategies for dealing with it. The book comprises a general introduction to bullying, followed by sections that examine the issue from the perspectives of victim and perpetrator. This dual approach is designed to stamp out the problem at its source - the bully - rather than simply supporting the victim. It also recognises that while people on the spectrum are all too often bullied for being'different', character traits such as difficulty with empathy mean they may unintentionally bully others.This practical book can be worked through independently or with any of the wide range of professionals involved in supporting an adult with autism or Asperger Syndrome and other learning disabilities, to reach a new level of understanding about bullying.

For those with autism, understanding `normal'can be a difficult task. For those without autism, the perception of `normal'can lead to unrealistic expectations of self and others. This book explores how individuals and society understand `normal', in order to help demystify and make accessible a full range of human experience.Wendy Lawson outlines the theory behind the current thinking and beliefs of Western society that have led to the building of a culture that fails to be inclusive. She describes what a wider concept of `normal'means and how to access it, whether it's in social interaction, friendships, feelings, thoughts and desires or various other aspects of `normality'. Practical advice is offered on a range of situations, including how to find your role within the family, how to integrate `difference'into everyday society, and how to converse and connect with others.Accessible and relevant to people both on and off the autism spectrum, this book offers a fresh look at what it means to be `normal'.

This book presents strategies for overcoming social skills deficits and sensory issues, to make for relationship success. The authors, both on the spectrum, reflect on their dating experiences and provide recommendations for relationships in both the short- and long-term. The book is thorough, accessible, and very encouraging.

`I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It will be a welcome resource and the generator of much fruitful discussion′ - Good Autism Practice `The highly readable, accessible writing style and visually clear presentation allow the reader to dip in frequently to build up knowledge by accretion...This is an excellent book, ideal for those both new to working with people with ASD and also more experienced practitioners′ - Special magazine Individuals with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) have difficulty in communicating and socializing. They perceive the world in a very different way to most people, and often find the behaviour of those around them confusing and unfair. This book examines the concerns around inappropriate social behaviour that those living and working with children and adults face on a day-to-day basis. It discusses preventative measures and intervention strategies, and uses real-life case studies to illustrate these. Issues covered include:'an overview of what difficulties might be encountered at different stages in life'strategies that can be used to alleviate the problems'how to recognize triggers and create stress-free environments'hints and tips for those living and working with individuals with ASDs.

Autism is now considered to be one of the most common developmental disorders today, yet 100 years ago the term did not exist. This book examines the historical and social events that enabled autism to be identified as a distinct disorder in the early twentieth century. The author, herself the mother of an autistic child, argues that although there is without doubt a biogenetic component to the condition, it is the social factors involved in its identification, interpretation and remediation that determine what it means to be autistic. Constructing Autism explores the social practices and institutions that reflect and shape the way we think about autism and what effects this has on autistic people and their families. Unravelling what appears to be the ‘truth'about autism, this informative book steps behind the history of its emergence as a modern disorder to see how it has become a crisis of twenty-first century child development.