Open Society

For decades, autism research compared autistic people to animals, denied them moral sensitivity, and assumed autistic traits made them miserable. All wrong.

A blog about making culture. Since 1999.

SUBSCRIBE TO MR TUMBLE AND FREINDS 👉 https://bbc.in/3fCetyRLearn Makaton with Justin Fletcher and Mr Tumble from Something Special!00:00 Spring Makaton sign...

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Sami Timimi's new book paints neurodivergent and trans people as dupes of neoliberalism

In the wake of the most recent Supreme Court term, it’s clear the trans movement must change legal and political course—but what might that look like?

What a terrible year. Good riddance to today being the very last of it. Way back when I used to publish things on Hack Education, I was always proud of my end-of-year stories -- the series of articles I posted annually that tried to chronicle all the incredibly awfulness that ed-tech had wrought in the prior months. It was important, I believed, to remember and reflect; capitalism and technology work hand-in-hand to encourage us to forget, to move on. I toyed with the idea of doing the same thi

The disability justice icon's last message: "Don’t let the bastards grind you down."

This groundbreaking A-Z of neurodiversity provides an accessible and definitive resource for professionals, families, and anyone seeking to better understand the vast landscape of neurodiversity as well as the experiences and potential of neurodivergent people. Covering over 370 terms, the book offers a nuanced understanding of each term’s multifaceted relevance and is structured around seven key categories: Neurodivergent identities, states, and models Emotional and mental health and well-be

AN NPR survey finds that people with disability still find hotels unaccommodating, even 35 years after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Autistic people often face challenges in face-to-face social interactions, especially in unfamiliar or high-stakes situations. Virtual reality has been proposed...

Apparent increases in autism and other forms of neurodivergence are often interpreted as a rise in incidence. Yet demographic expansion, diagnostic broadening, and growing cultural awareness all con

Every few years, the tires on your car wear thin and need to be replaced. But where does that lost tire material go? The answer, unfortunately, is often waterways, where the tiny microplastic particles from the tires’ synthetic rubber carry several chemicals that can transfer into fish, crabs and perhaps even the people who eat them. We are analytical and environmental chemists who are studying ways to remove those microplastics – and the toxic chemicals

Are They Neurodivergent - Autism, ADHD, And Other Neurodivergent History · Episode

Mental health issues are often approached through a negative, blanketing lens that creates stigma for those diagnosed with psychological disorders. To contribute to the spread of mental health awareness, people experiencing mental distress need to present their stories to demonstrate they are not insignificant and are worthy of humanization. Writing about one’s experiences helps them heal from their painful past and find meaning in life. Three of Emily Dickinson’s poems have also been analyzed with regard to the mental distress represented in each, and the author presents three of their own poems to show similarities in the ideas expressed between two people experiencing psychological distress. A better understanding of those who suffer from mental distress is provided through the inclusion and abstraction of Dickinson’s poems and personal narrative. The comparison of the author to renowned poet Emily Dickinson shows psychological disorders should not define people as they are still capable of making significant contributions to society.

In honour of International Women’s Day 2025, I wanted to shine a light on the women throughout history who may have been autistic—women whose brilliance, creativity, and resilience shaped the world.

Despite the developments being made in the realm of higher education in providing space and accommodations for Neurodivergent and Neuroqueer learners, the ableist foundations of these academic institutions still maintain an active, albeit masked, role within the lived experiences of Neuroqueer individuals in academia. This operative role of ableism in higher education disempowers such learners from pursuing academic accommodations which would otherwise greatly influence classroom contributions and even, in some cases, discourages them from continuing their educational pursuits. Within this essay, I investigate the ways in which ableism maintains its active role in academia and suggest policies and pedagogies which can be enacted to obliterate the presence of academic ableism. Additionally, I examine through critical analysis of various Neurodivergent poets the ways in which poetry functions as modes of self-empowerment, self-compassion, and resistance for Neuroqueer learners in the face of oppression and otherization. My findings reveal that Neuroqueer individuals find the contemporary process of obtaining accommodations through biographic mediation to be dehumanizing and resulting in very lackluster accommodations. I suggest that autobiographical mediation with personalized accommodations made by the Neuroqueer individuals themselves, as opposed to the institution, will result in greater agency and participation both within and outside the classroom setting. Furthermore, my research affirms that creating and engaging with poetry strengthens Neuroqueer social skills, including competency in self-advocacy, which, in turn, fosters feelings of self-empowerment, self-compassion, and a drive to resist oppression, marginalization, and otherization. By dismantling policies which actively stigmatize and oppress Neuroqueerness, replacing them with policies of a more humanizing approach, and teaching poetry as a means of fostering skills of self-advocacy, we will not only see a tremendous increase in Neuroqueer graduates from higher education, but we will additionally see a shift in the broader perception of Neuroqueerness; transforming visions revolving around “deficits” and “difficulties” into unique capabilities and bold, unyielding individuality.

Angela Frederick’s new book calls to put disability at the center of disaster planning.

Neurosupremacy and Hierarchies Within The Neurodivergent Community

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Neurodiversity Affirming Practice: Core Principles Neurodiversity Affirming Practice is a framework for working with and supporting neurodivergent individuals. It is a framework grounded in the …