Open Society

The author of “Gender and Our Brains” argues that male and female brains are one and the same, that neuroimages are often misinterpreted, and that external factors like gender stereotypes and real-world experiences account for any detectable differences in mental processing between the genders.

Pathological Demand-Avoidance (PDA) is a proposed mental Disorder which originated in the United Kingdom (UK), with persons identified with PDA exhibiting strong avoidance behaviours in response to “ordinary” demands. Initially proposed as a novel type of Disorder, it was briefly suggested it was a Pervasive Developmental Disorder, before often being argued to be an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the UK. Currently, there is no consensus over what PDA is, or what features are associated with it, partly due to the small number and generally poor-quality studies. With many controversies surrounding PDA, frequently with intense passions invoked for and against its use in clinical practice. Hence, there are four different main schools of thought on how to conceptualise PDA. Primary justification for PDA is that it better describes an individual's actions and thus informs personalised education support packages based on collaborative approaches, which regularly breach adult-centric cultural boundaries.Since 2010, interest in PDA as an ASD in the UK, has resulted in the notion being a “culture-bound concept” in the UK. In part driven by some clinicians diagnosing PDA as an autism subtype and some researchers investigating PDA as an autism subtype. Independent from both the poor state of PDA research and ongoing-historical debates surrounding PDA. Despite arbiters of clinical practice taking a neutral stance on PDA and equally respecting divergent perspectives. There is a need ...

16TH OF JULY 2022 LATEST MUSINGS ON “PATHOLOGICAL” DEMAND-AVOIDANCE (PDA). Introduction. This blog post is a mixed bag. First, I introduce the call for papers for a special issue on “Pathological” …

In this article I’ll unpack the criticisms and limits of “what works” in what we call evidence-based educational research and practice.

I have a recurring experience on Twitter that goes something like this:

Auditory processing disorder is usually thought of as a child's learning disability but many adults have APD or are at risk of acquiring it as they age.

‘Too complicated to treat’? Autistic people seeking mental health support in Scotland AMASE published a report on November 7th 2018, highlighting major issues with mental health provision in Scotland, with over a quarter of survey respondents saying they were directly denied services because of their autism diagnosis, and many more saying practitioners failed to recognise… Read the full article

The hunt for male and female distinctions inside the skull is a lesson in bad research practice, writes Lise Eliot.

A PDF file of over 25 diagrams created by Ira Kraemer (aka Autistic Science Person) about autism, social interactions, alexithymia, sensory sensitivit...

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - In this paper, we report on a participatory oral history study documenting the lives of late-diagnosed autistic adults in Australia. We interviewed...

An inclusive approach to education requires schools and educators to address the support needs and individual predispositions of all students. Our research highlights the crucial importance of effective and respectful communication with autistic students to facilitate their successful participation in schools. This paper explores the experiences of 24 autistic individuals aged 16–67 years, through synchronous semi-structured interviews and written responses. The research team comprised both autistic and allistic (non-autistic) researchers, who worked together to design the overall project, collect interview data, and analyse the data. Relationships were frequently discussed by participants and the importance of positive relationships was positioned as key to successful participation within educational contexts. Particularly damaging were assumptions made by teachers concerning individual ability based on labels given. Participants recalled ongoing challenges with resisting stereotypes and managing stigma, while trying to craft a positive autistic identity and advocate for rightful supports for their education. At the core of these negotiations were positive relationships, and teachers who asked participants what their needs were, and then listened and proactively responded to their answers. Recommendations for more positive schooling engagements with autistic young people are provided.

The Therapist Neurodiversity Collective advocates for improving the quality of life for individuals who use AAC for communication purposes.

PECS® uses Operant Conditioning, which is a behavior technique that can be used to target and increase a behavior by pairing performance of the target behavior with a positive or rewarding outcome.[2] Per Andy Bondy, inventor of PECS, “Skinner’s analysis of Verbal Behavior forms the basis for teaching particular skills at specific points in the training sequence and also provides guidelines for how best to design the teaching strategies.[3]” PECS uses picture-based prompting and reinforcement tied to error correction in order to teach language skills. The method allows the trainer to artificially cause frustration through the withholding of highly desired objects or food until the targeted behavior is achieved, even if the communicator becomes upset or angry. It is not a natural or nice way to teach language.

Today in a virtual Zoom therapy session, the parent asked me why I don't use PECS® in speech therapy (with non-speaking or minimally speaking Autistic children). After watching her child laugh, dance, and have fun during therapy, after watching them imitate action verbs, and spontaneously communicate a desire, spontaneously point to my assistant and me on the screen, and smile at us all, it became clear to this parent that there are different kinds of therapy sessions. This kind isn't all about compliance.

In this hour-long webinar-on-demand, learn the true—and often overlooked—defining symptoms of ADHD with William Dodson, M.D.

Shop ADHD comic posters and more

Children with autism spectrum disorders and selective mutism Hanna Steffenburg, Suzanne Steffenburg, Christopher Gillberg, Eva Billstedt Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden Background: It has been suggested that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might be a “comorbid” condition in selective mutism (SM). Methods: In this retrospective study, we examined medical records of children with SM diagnosis (n=97) at a medical center specializing in assessment of ASD. Results: Mean age for onset of SM symptoms was 4.5 years and mean age at SM diagnosis was 8.8 years. SM was more common among girls (boy:girl ratio=2.7:1). We found that 63% of the study group had an ASD (no gender difference). The SM group with combined ASD had later onset of symptoms, higher age at diagnosis, more often a history of speech delay, and a higher proportion of borderline IQ or intellectual disability.Conclusion: The results highlight the risk of overlap between ASD and SM. Keywords: selective mutism, autism spectrum disorders, Asperger syndrome, autistic disorder

The words and feelings of an Autistic 20-something

I’ve been reflecting on what I originally wrote, doing some further reading about RPM as well as Facilitated Communication (FC), and pondering the question of whether my writing achieved my goal, which was to set forth a critical reflection that acknowledges the concerns motivating both supporters and opponents of RPM.

This is another one of my posts inspired by a debate on twitter. In this case the interaction which sums it all up is: @mdreddy6 I'm sure I could dig some up, but as I said there is reason anyone should have to prove that their communication is their own. — Gregg Beratan (@GreggBeratan) March…

It’s important to remember that when an autistic person is struggling or having aggression, they are not being “bad,” and it's not personal.

What is Alexithymia? Is Alexithymia a mental illness? What are people with Alexithymia like? Do only autistic people experience Alexithymia? Does Alexithymia...

A typical aspie-NT conversation about feelings: NT: What’s wrong? Aspie: I don’t know. NT: You look upset. Aspie: . . . NT: Are you sad? Angry? Aspie: I don’t know. NT: It’s…