T.C. Waisman, Monique Botha, and Wenn Lawson—three deeply compassionate autistic experts—on navigating the world while autistic.

Self-compassion in autism. Being kind and caring for yourself and your mental healthW. Lawson1, P. Vermeulen21Curtin University, Allied Health, Perth, Austra...

Your Personal Self-Compassion Scores As taken on Your Overall Score:  Average overall scores tend to be around 3.0 on this 1-5 scale, so you can interpret your overall score accordingly. […]

Many autistic people love Christmas, but for others the festive period can be stressful and overwhelming. Find advice and helpful tips on how to make Christmas a more enjoyable experience for everyone.

Advice and insight from a former teacher with Asperger Syndrome

I've seen a few parents and carers talking about Christmas festivities and other festivals, and how important it is to them to make their au...

In this article Kieran Rose looks at why there is no such thing as SEND in UK Education and addresses the harm casued by SEND narratives.

The Neuronormative Paradigm, conceptualised by Nick Walker, names the systems that define and enforce what society considers “normal.” This exploration piece contrasts the neuronormative paradigm with the Neurodiversity Paradigm, which recognises all ways of being as vital to human diversity.

Making sure the “winners” always win.

A speculative synthesis from a physician steeped in autism, sensory science, and the neuroscience of attention.

The RAADS–R is designed to assist clinicians with the diagnosis of autistic adults who often “escape diagnosis” due to a subclinical level presentation.

Short animation explains ADHD through the eyes of amazing ADHD'er Molly aimed at school children to help them understand the condition beyond the misconcepti...

This landmark volume for neurodiversity studies introduces a new, more inclusive field of scholarship for literary and cultural studies. Bringing together schol…

What is ‘critical neurodiversity studies’? Louise Creechan introduces the conference aiming to answer this question, and its Polyphony takeover.

Background. Adults increasingly self-identify as autistic without a formal diagnosis, yet little research has systematically investigated (a) the unique characteristics, experiences, and needs of self-identifying adults and (b) their preferences regarding diagnosis. Understanding the unique needs and preferences of self-identifying adults is necessary to better support them. Method. We conducted a cross-sectional, mixed-methods study of autistic adults who either self-identified as autistic (n = 147) or had a formal autism diagnosis (n = 115), recruited via the survey platform Prolific. Participants were compared on (a) demographic characteristics, (b) autistic traits and experiences, (c) psychosocial outcomes, (d) support needs, and (e) beliefs about autism. Moreover, self-identifying participants were asked whether they want a diagnosis, why or why not, and what barriers they face. Results. Self-identifying autistic adults were similar to diagnosed adults in autistic traits, including diagnostic traits (>93% of both groups scored ≥ 14 on the RAADS-14). However, self-identifying autistic adults differed from diagnosed adults in significant ways. Self-identifying adults were more likely to be cisgender female (53.5% versus 27.0%), experienced worse mental well-being (ds = -0.41), were more likely to experience unmet support needs (71.4% versus 47.0%), and faced unique barriers to receiving support (most frequently a lack of resources). The majority (68.7%) of self-identifying adults wanted a formal diagnosis, but faced barriers in doing so. Self-identifying adults named a number of reasons for wanting a diagnosis (e.g., validation, access to certain services), but also grounds for hesitation (e.g., fear of stigma and discrimination). Conclusion. Adults who self-identify as autistic are similar to diagnosed adults in their autistic traits, but face more barriers to accessing services and may be uniquely vulnerable to experiencing adverse psychosocial outcomes. Psychosocial outcomes in self-identifying autistic adults may be improved by increasing access to diagnosis and/or psychosocial services.

To investigate the protective effectiveness of various COVID-19 booster strategies against the Omicron BA.4/5 variant and examine the impact of vaccin…

Whether you’re an adult exploring your own identity or a parent/carer supporting your child, you may be wondering things like: Is this Autism? ADHD? Something else? Do I need formal identification,…

Why Wes Steeting's new inquiry is about more than just renewed austerity

DGH Neurodivegent Consultancy uses a six point framework to support Autistic people. This article explains the basic principles behind this framework that can be used by anyone who exists in and around the world of autism.

“Libraries embody everything that we need right now to fight back against fascism," says Sara Heymann.

Finally, a research study has addressed the question of whether kids are better off with or without a smartphone.

This animation was written and narrated by Kieran Rose (https://theautisticadvocate.com/) and animated by Josh Knowles Animation.

Uma is the world’s first strengths-based self-identification service that helps adult women, non-binary, and AFAB people safely self-screen for autism, ADHD, and CPTSD.

Rethinking Mental Health Beyond The Medical Gaze