Open Society

"Accessibility has failed as a way to make computers usable for disabled users." Thus begins a newsletter by Jakob Nielsen. And had it not been written by someone a great many people take seriously in the UX industry I likely would just have dismissed it. But seeing how harmful I

Guest blog by Jordyn Zimmerman, M.Ed. On November 18, 2022, CommunicationFIRST Board Chair Jordyn Zimmerman gave an invited presentation at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)'s Annual Convention in New Orleans entitled, "SLPs as Gatekeepers: Reimagining, Challenging, and Pushing Our Assumptions." The presentation generated lots of discussion, with one attendee commenting,…

Autistic adolescents are at increased risk of developing mental health problems. Improving psychological well-being could reduce the likelihood of suc…

Background Historically, autism research has focused on the overrepresentation of physical and mental health problems and decreased psychological well-being in ...

by Fergus Murray Weirdness is most often contrasted with normality: someone or something that is weird is seen as a departure from the normal. But what is normality? Who decided it was desirable, and when? The idea of normality turns out to be a relatively recent invention, with scientists in the 1800s first applying statistical […]

Background: Although autistic people have shared how important their interests can be, sometimes using the phrase “special interests,” autistic interests are commonly pathologized. Research has begun to recognize the benefits of special interests for autistic people. These benefits are often investigated primarily in childhood and in relation to neuronormative aims. In addition, existing research leaves the definition of “special interests” unquestioned. This study adds to the literature by examining not only what autistic adults mean by “special interests,” but how they explain why these interests matter. Methods: The researcher interviewed 15 adult autistic advocates in the United States about their “special interests” to understand what this term meant to them based on their own life experiences. Through critical qualitative analysis of interview transcripts, including iterative inductive-deductive coding, hierarchical code organization, and positional mapping, the researcher looked for similarities and differences in how participants conceptualized special interests. Results: Participants used three different narrative strategies to describe special interests and their importance: explaining the amount of time spent on the interest, discussing how they experience the interest, and comparing special interests with other types of interests. Autistic people said that their interests mattered to them personally, as well as helped them communicate and connect with others. Participants also shared that it was important for non-autistic people to know about why special interests matter to autistic people and create a more accepting society. Conclusions: The concept of “special interests” meant different things to the autistic people in this study. Even so, participants saw special interests as generally important and an aspect of their lives that should be societally supported. The narratives of special interests collected in this project challenge stereotypes of autistic people as disconnected and asocial. Instead, this study demonstrated how special interests take on increased individual and societal importance for autistic people.

Abstract The unusually uneven intelligence test profile found in autism has been consistently replicated. However, few psychological theories of autism give prominence to this feature. Nor is it clea...

The unusually uneven intelligence test profile found in autism has been consistently replicated. However, few psychological theories of autism give prominence to this feature. Nor is it clear how currently influential theories, such as the theory of mind account or the executive function hypothesis, …

Yes, I believe so. I didn't like Happe's 'islets of ability' or 'uneven profile', so I called it a spiky profile instead.— Damian Milton (@milton_damian) March 3, 2024

The term "spiky profiles" was popularised by psychologist and researcher Francesca Happé. You may find relevant information in her work, such as the article "Wechsler IQ profile and theory of mind in autism: A research note." (Happé, 1994).— Jonjo Minns (@jonjominns) March 2, 2024

How a smart friend (and progenitor of information architecture) provided me with a UX and life lesson whose wisdom I continue to hold close.

Every page unveils another clutching of control that mortifies and confounds until the reader doesn’t know whether to laugh, cry or rage.

"When I am in public spaces and see most people unmasked, I feel like an expendable burden not worth saving."

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating, chronic disorder and efficacy rates of current PTSD treatments are underwhelming. There is a critical need for innovative approaches. We provide an overview of trauma and PTSD and cite literature providing...

Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Adverse life events and mental health conditions are unfortunately common amongst autistic adults and children; this may present a...

This research roundup picks out some of the current big debates on autistic lives, and showcases new and important research from teams and academics working within the field.

High-quality materials, professional learning supports, and a schoolwide PBL culture are markers of successful PBL programs.

Autistic people who cannot speak risk being underestimated. Their inability to speak, along with other unconventional behaviors and mannerisms, can give rise to...

Around 2012ish, a new movement rode into the UK (school) educational scene. It came with the banner of "evidence-based", to counter the previous movement. I'm not writing to contend whether the movement was right or wrong, but to offer a perspective of what it may be. My view differs to the major slogans of the movement as it took force. Let this movement be called EduCogSci. It was claimed to be a movement of objective reason, empowering teachers with the science of cognition and the evidence

Hello! Please note! I am happy for you to have my books ( plus other generous authors) to use them in your work or play with very special children and adults. Just remember that many were written years ago when there was hardly any information or research around. What education there was, had to

Exploring some of the difficulties faced by autistic people at mealtimes with tips on how to help

As I wrote a year ago in The Rot Economy (and as I argued on the first episode of my podcast Better Offline), I believe that both public and private markets have become decoupled from the concept of "good business," ruled instead by a hunger for the eternal growth of

A blog about making culture. Since 1999.

A blog about making culture. Since 1999.

How long can the agriculturally vital San Luis Valley hang on to its biggest asset — amid waves of existential threats?

Crip Up the Kitchen is a comprehensive guide and recipe collection that brings the economy and satisfaction of home cooking to disabled and neurodivergent cooks.

I recently saw some philosophers discussing – well, more dismissing – the concept of the ‘neurotypical’. This is something I’ve seen a few times now. Personally I think the term i…

In this blog, Raelene Dundon outlines her 7 strategies for ensuring your practice is neurodiversity affirming.

Find out how businesses can get involved with Neurodiversity Celebration Week, register and take the pledge.