Google vs. Technorati: The Great Blog Search War
The search engine that kept up at the speed of blogging created a “search war” with Google. But eventually, the speed of blogging just wasn’t fast enough.
Open Society
enshittification – Techdirt
Posts about enshittification written by Karl Bode and Mike Masnick
Why Bluesky Remains The Most Interesting Experiment In Social Media, By Far
These days, everyone hates big tech, and that’s often for very good reasons. You shouldn’t trust giant centralized companies that have collected a ridiculous amount of data on you. There are few re…
Looking After Your Autistic Self
'I no longer try to mask my autism; I now work to support my autism'It is a myth that autistic children grow into 'less autistic' adults. In fact, many autistic adults feel more overwhelmed as they age as the stresses of social demands such as relationships, parenting, or the work environment increase.Niamh Garvey offe
Sensory Processing Disorder Checklist - The OT Toolbox
This massive sensory processing disorder checklist breaks down sensory behaviors as over-reactions or under-reactions to sensory input.
Sensory Assessments for Adolescents & Adults - OT-Innovations
The following list includes a sampling of assorted occupational therapy sensory-related assessment tools and checklists appropriate for use with adolescent and adult populations. Please note that therapeutic assessments, informational handouts, and worksheets sometimes need to be adapted for an individual’s cognitive ability, otherwise frustration and/or misinterpretation may occur. The following are several examples of some of the different types of sensory-related tools available for use with adolescents and adults: Catana Brown, PhD, OTR, FAOTA and Winnie Dunn, PhD, OTR, FAOTA developed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile. This valuable standardized assessment tool is most appropriate for use with individuals functioning within the Allen Cognitive Level 5 ranges. It is available through Pearson. The Sensory Integration Inventory – Revised, for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities is a screening tool developed by Judith E. Reisman, PhD, OTR, FAOTA and Bonnie Hanschu, OTR. This Inventory is categorized into four areas: tactile, vestibular, proprioception, and general reactions. This […]
Risks vs. Harms: Youth & Social Media
I hate that the "social media is bad for teens" myth will not die. In this little rant, I tackle one part of this puzzle: the obsession with "harms" (thanks lawyers) and the implications of not thinking through how to respond coherently to risks.
The Mediapocalypse Revisited: A Future for Responsible, Reader-Centered Media?
The Greek word “apokalypsis” (ἀποκάλυψις), which we tend to translate “apocalypse,” literally means an unveiling or a revealing—hence why we call the last book of the New Testament “Revelation” in English.
Goodbye, End Times — by Chrissy Stroop
"I harbored guilt over not being happy about growing up in the end times."
Simulating Redlining: When “Race Was the Real Currency”
A high school social studies teacher describes a classroom simulation where students experience the effects of decades of racist federal housing policies.
“More People Get What They Need”
First graders learn about accessibility and empathy through constructing emergency signals.
The Role of Meaning Making with Beginning Communicators: Motivating Interactions
Finding ways to engage AAC learners is important to professionals across disciplines and service delivery settings. In today’s post, we feature guest author Kate McLaughlin, who is an SLP ser…
Toward a General Theory of Monotropism — About Sacred Psychology
My feeling is that we have been thinking neurodivergence all wrong. We see that there are these differences in cognitive style, differences defined in terms of attention and competence. We vacillate between ability and disability, personal strengths and societal weakness. We wonder: why the overl
Encountering Neurodiversity-Affirming Perspectives of Neurodivergent Experiences: A Collaborative Exploration With Caregivers - ProQuest
Explore millions of resources from scholarly journals, books, newspapers, videos and more, on the ProQuest Platform.
Recognizing and Resisting Ableist Language in Schools: Suggestions for School-based Speech Language Pathologists and Related Professionals
Energy: The Framework, Tools, Strategies & Logic to Support Regulation
TLDR; Energy The super short story: A written walk-through of all the Autism Level UP! tools and ways of thinking about supporting regulation for yourself or others. Designed with Autistic and Neurodivergent people in mind, but perfectly suitable for all neurotypes! A bit more:The term “regulation” is tossed around a lot today (and maybe regulation likes or requires that kind of sensory input…), especially in the form of “emotional regulation.” How does Autism Level UP! conceptualize regulation? We think about ENERGY and energy regulation. Where is your energy right now? Where do you want it to be for whatever it is you are doing (reading a manual, perhaps)? Do those two answers line up? If so, you are well regulated. Are those two answers different? You might be dysregulated and need some kind of tool or strategy to make a match. We find this to be a more realistic, authentic and affirming method for thinking about regulation than tying it to socially constructed emotions. This manual will teach you how we think about ENERGY, and how you can use it for yourself or to support others through the introduction of our tools, worksheets and ways of thinking. We offer ideas on how to introduce the concept to people with wide ranging neurotypes and communication profiles as well as how to ensure a fair and equitable partnership develops in which the burden of change and growth is on both the person and the partner. We hope you enjoy this choose your own adventure journey and where ever you end up, you have taken another step in leveling UP!
PDF: ABA, the troubling history & legacy of today's most popular autis
A pdf of the book ABA: The troubling history & legacy of today's most popular autism therapy. Not configured for e-readers. Contains hyperlinks to all references. E-book also available on this site.
Energy: The Framework, Tools, Strategies & Logic to Support Regulation - Outside the Box Learning Resources
A written walk-through of all the Autism Level UP! tools and ways of thinking about supporting regulation for yourself or others. Designed with Autistic and Neurodivergent people in mind, but perfectly suitable for all neurotypes!
Processing Mutism: An Introduction to and Appreciation of AAC
Discussing AAC in its broadest terms and how it can support both non-speaking and speaking autistics.
Double Burnout: Exploring the Experiences of Autistic and Educator Burnout Among Autistic Educators in the United States - ProQuest
Explore millions of resources from scholarly journals, books, newspapers, videos and more, on the ProQuest Platform.
The Return
Week in and week out, there are a litany of stories that, if I were paying attention to education technology, would prompt me to say “I told you so.” Why look, just in the last few days: coding boo...
Epistemic injustice in psychiatric research and practice
This paper offers an overview of the philosophical work on epistemic injustices as it relates to psychiatry. After describing the development of epistemic injustice studies, we survey the existing...
Cultural Autism Studies at Yale: A Revolution
Autistic voices lead a global cultural revolution in understanding and inclusivity at the Cultural Autism Studies at Yale.
Embracing Autistic Children’s Monotropic Flow States — Neurodiverse Connection
Autistic and ADHD people are more likely to be monotropic than the rest of the population. This means they focus more energy and resources on fewer interests/tasks/ sensory input at any one time compared to non-autistic polytropic people.
Opinion | The Soul of Soil
The dirt beneath our feet is a bigger, bolder world than you think.
Recognizing soil as a form of life reframes our perception of another interconnected, self-regulating system: Earth. We owe many of Earth’s defining features — its breathable atmosphere, blue sky, mineral diversity, ocean chemistry and wildfires — to life. Over time, Earth and life, much like soil and the organisms that maintain it, formed a single evolving system that has endured for billions of years. The living earth beneath our feet mirrors our larger living planet.
The challenge before us, then, is not simply to amend Earth’s soils, but to revitalize them before they’re lost forever. Modern agriculture must respect soil as a wondrous yet vulnerable living entity. Two core principles can guide this shift: minimizing soil disturbance and emphasizing biodiversity. In practice, this entails significantly reducing tillage; rotating crops; prioritizing organic inputs over synthetic fertilizers; integrating crops, trees and livestock; and shielding soil from erosion with cover crops, among other interventions.
Running my fingers through the soil, I understood, more clearly than ever before, that it was not simply a layer sitting atop the planet, but an extension of Earth itself — that soil, like all life, is not so much an inhabitant of the planet as an expression of a living world.
Anti-Mask Harassment at Nassau County’s Mask Ban Hearing — Jews for Mask Rights
We are horrified by the level of harassment, intimidation, and blatant disregard for disabled people at the hearing for Nassau County’s Mask Transparency Act
Throughout the nearly seven-hour hearing, masked attendees were subjected to ongoing harassment. Some immunocompromised individuals were intentionally coughed on. Ban supporters told mask-wearers they couldn't wait for their masks to be removed. Ban supporters pointed at, laughed at, and filmed disabled attendees. They made discriminatory remarks, even yelling out to arrest those in masks. Ban supporters harassed at least one speaker on their way out of the building. Law enforcement and government officials made minimal attempts to curb the vitriol, which only emboldened those perpetuating it.
The sight of a disabled person being manhandled in a government building was shocking and deeply traumatic. These actions sent a clear message: the Mask Transparency Act is already a health hazard, but in the hands of biased law enforcement, it becomes deeply dangerous.
The hearing fostered the very hate and vitriol the bill claims to combat, targeting disabled individuals and others who dared to oppose it. It was not just a debate over a mask ban; it was a chilling display of hatred, intolerance, and disregard for vulnerable people. We commend the courage of those who stood up and spoke out under such hostile conditions.
From Being to Becoming......
Some people seek change and can’t wait to transform. Others often ask why they have to change.
In a participatory universe, the creative potential is the deity that supplants objectivity and rational thinking; the machine is replaced with wondrous meaning. This description evokes a spirit of perpetual movement, uncertain yet full of potential and inspiration. States of being are but temporary as the primary process is the phenomenon of becoming.
"Becoming what?" you might ask. But that very question is seeking a “thing” type of answer. What are the waves in the ocean becoming?
For all conscious entities (and there is a reasonable argument that all matter is indeed sentient, a belief known as panpsychism), the process of becoming puts us squarely in this new paradigm of personal evolution and participatory change. Much of my work is devoted to catalyzing and enabling people to change.
The process of becoming is forgiving. In the flow of becoming, we are no longer rooted in the hardship of fear, insecurity, or the notions of mistakes. A fuller participation in our unfolding life assists us in the art of living well. Becoming is open and unlimited; being is structured and limiting.
As the artist crafts their art, so might we look at our life. Learning to live artfully has us see our lives as a process open to inquiry and learning, always receptive to new meaning. Thus, we are always becoming.
It would also be helpful if we looked at our relationships from this flow of becoming. Our tendency is to see one another as fixed, and hence our relationship is stuck as well. As two individuals, each devoted to their becoming, engage one another, we have a relationship that is indeed evolving. Contrast that with two beings, locked in a relationship burdened by their states of being.
how we can complicate notions of "becoming" by creating third spaces where students can combine, remix, & even subvert disciplinary practices for socially just purposes at DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.
My students, regardless of their identities, are in the beautiful and terrifying process that is becoming. I have the great honor of intersecting with their journeys, sometimes in small and nearly imperceptible ways, in the work that I do each day. And as I do this, I myself am reminded of the journey still ahead of me.
Can Civilization Survive "Really Existing Capitalism"? An Interview With Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky discusses ISIS, the rise of religious extremism globally, actually existing capitalism and its incompatibility with democracy, Israel, Ukraine and the “root of all evil.”…
Really existing capitalism – RECD for short (pronounced “wrecked”) – is radically incompatible with democracy. It seems to me unlikely that civilization can survive really existing capitalism and the sharply attenuated democracy that goes along with it.
A View Source Web – Pixel Envy
Garry Ing, writing for the third issue of the HTML Review: On my personal websites view source meant being able to adapt and remix ideas. Like drawing a map, elements and pages acted as landmarks in the browser to be navigated between. As a self-initiated learner, being able to view source brought to mind the […]
Markup is structure visible to all.