Most of us have genes that make us as hardy as dandelions: able to take root and survive almost anywhere. A few of us, however, are more like the orchid: fragile and fickle, but capable of blooming spectacularly if given greenhouse care. So holds a provocative new theory of genetics, which asserts that the very genes that give us the most trouble as a species, causing behaviors that are self-destructive and antisocial, also underlie humankind’s phenomenal adaptability and evolutionary success. With a bad environment and poor parenting, orchid children can end up depressed, drug-addicted, or in jail—but with the right environment and good parenting, they can grow up to be society’s most creative, successful, and happy people.
A few years ago Tom Boyce compared normal people to dandelions and people with a brain difference to orchids. While dandelions are able to thrive anywhere, orchids are more beautiful and fascinatin…
Young people are headed for a project-based world, so let's set them up for success now through intentional project-based learning experiences in school.
(3) Psychological Safety: Key to Success at School and Work | LinkedIn
Getting It Right In grammar school I stuttered, felt the hot panic on my face When my turn to read crept up the row. Even when I counted the paragraphs And memorized the passage, I’d trip on the first or second word, and then it would be over, the awful hesitation, the word clinging to the lining of
The objectives of the autism and neurodiversity civil rights movements overlap significantly with the interests of those who advocate for greater levels of psychological safety in the workplace and…
The objectives of the autism and neurodiversity civil rights movements overlap significantly with the interests of those who advocate for greater levels of psychological safety in the workplace and in society in general.
Creating and maintaining a psychologically safe environment is fundamental for the flourishing of all staff, yet in most organisations psychological safety is the exception rather than the norm.
The wrong kind of noise: understanding and valuing the communication of autistic children in schools
As a result of the association of autism with speech and language difficulties, autistic school children can be subject to interventions ostensibly intended to remedy these problems. However, my st...
Enhanced olfactory sensitivity in autism spectrum conditions - Molecular Autism
Background People with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) report heightened olfaction. Previous sensory experiments in people with ASC have reported hypersensitivity across visual, tactile, and auditory domains, but not olfaction. The aims of the present study were to investigate olfactory sensitivity in ASC, and to test the association of sensitivity to autistic traits. Methods We recruited 17 adult males diagnosed with ASC and 17 typical adult male controls and tested their olfactory sensitivity using the Alcohol Sniff Test (AST), a standardised clinical evaluation of olfactory detection. The AST involves varying the distance between subject and stimulus until an odour is barely detected. Participants with ASC also completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) as a measure of autism traits. Results The ASC group detected the odour at a mean distance of 24.1 cm (SD =11.5) from the nose, compared to the control group, who detected it at a significantly shorter mean distance of 14.4 cm (SD =5.9). Detection distance was independent of age and IQ for both groups, but showed a significant positive correlation with autistic traits in the ASC group (r =0.522). Conclusions This is the first experimental demonstration, as far as the authors are aware, of superior olfactory perception in ASC and showing that greater olfactory sensitivity is correlated with a higher number of autistic traits. This is consistent with results from previous findings showing hypersensitivity in other sensory domains and may help explain anecdotal and questionnaire accounts of heightened olfactory sensitivity in ASC. Results are discussed in terms of possible underlying neurophysiology.
Children with autism have more heightened visual sensitivity to moving objects than peers without autism, which may point to their brain’s difficulty in filtering and controlling outside signals.
A sound advantage: Increased auditory capacity in autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has an intriguing auditory processing profile. Individuals show enhanced pitch discrimination, yet often find seemingly…
Do autistics age faster because so much personal physical resources are impinged upon in order to year after year appear to be as typical as possible so that we might fit in enough to pass as somewhat human to the rest of society? Judy Endow on Ollibean
Using "Correct Language" And "People First" by Ira David Socol - Bowllan's Blog
Ira David Socol is a blogger over at SpeEdChange, he’s also a twitter friend of mine who recently put me in my place when I tweeted about a diversity issue. His response was to something I tweeted about in regards to "correct language" and it prompted me to ask him more questions about the issue. Just so you know, CL is something […]
Neurodiversity, Quality of Life, and Autistic Adults: Shifting Research and Professional Focuses onto Real-Life Challenges | Disability Studies Quarterly
This article examines challenges to the quality of life experienced by autistic adults. The author, who is an autistic researcher, first shares how a neurodiversity perspective offers an important alternative to the deficit model of autism. Whereas the deficit model portrays autistic people as ill, broken, and in need of fixing, the neurodiversity perspective portrays it as a form of human diversity with associated strengths and difficulties. The article’s discussion then shifts to presenting Schalock’s (2000) quality of life framework as a neurodiversity-compatible lens through which domains of quality of life can be viewed. The article analyzes in detail these core domains in relation to the lives of autistic adults. The author suggests that a collaborative approach between professionals/researchers and autistic adults is needed to develop meaningful solutions to these challenges, and he presents possibilities for collaboration. KeywordsAutism, Neurodiversity, Quality of life, Autistic Adults
What Is Important in Measuring Quality of Life? Reflections by Autistic Adults in Four Countries | Autism in Adulthood
Relevant and valid measurement is crucial in determining whether interventions and supports have improved the quality of life (QoL) of autistic people. However, it is possible that researchers' and services' use of general population QoL tools may overlook issues of specific importance. To advance methodology, we conducted a preliminary exploration of the need and basis for cross-cultural development of additional autism-specific QoL questions. Nine consultation groups with autistic adults (n = 38) were held in Argentina, Australia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom to examine the items of the World Health Organization QoL questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) and the WHOQOL Disabilities add-on module. Each group discussion was transcribed and analyzed thematically to identify missing issues and nuances of particular significance to autistic people. Themes seen as important and particularly relevant to QoL of autistic people included a positive autistic identity, other people's lack of understanding of autism, sensory issues, and autistic people's contributions to society. There were notable similarities across sites indicating that creation of cross-cultural autism-specific items is likely to be possible; the themes identified could inform the focus of items for measurement of QoL. This project represents an initial step toward fuller international consultation, and subsequent development of an autism-specific module for addition to the core WHOQOL model. Lay summary Why was this project done? Quality of life (QoL) refers to how satisfied a person is with their life now, taking into account their experiences and the conditions in which they live. There are questionnaires for the general public to rate their QoL, but these may ask questions in ways that are not important or relevant for autistic people; for example, some autistic people have few or no friends, but are fine with this. Also questionnaires miss out topics such as sensory overload that impact on QoL for autistic people. What was the purpose? We wanted to try to understand whether the questions in the World Health Organization Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF for short), and in the optional add-on Disabilities questionnaire, were important and relevant to autistic people from different countries and cultures. We also wanted to find out whether autistic people thought there were other important topics missing from these questionnaires. What did the researchers do? We held 9 consultation groups about the WHO questionnaire items, with 38 autistic people in 4 countries: the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia, and Argentina. Researchers, including members of the autism community, read the typed out discussions a number of times to find common themes, especially what was particularly relevant, or topics and experiences that were missing. First we analyzed the four United Kingdom groups, and then the other five groups. What did the researchers find? Autistic people we consulted thought that most of the existing items of the WHOQOL questionnaires were important. From the discussions, we found 13 themes that were identified as particularly relevant to QoL, including being positive about one's autistic identity, other people's (lack of) knowledge of autism, sensory issues, mental health difficulties, the nature of friendships, and supporting other people as carers or volunteers. What do these findings add to what was already known? The discussions from the four countries were quite similar. The items from the WHO QoL questionnaires were mostly viewed as important and relevant by autistic people, but a number of issues are missing, which seem different in autism and should be included in any improved measurement of QoL. What are potential weaknesses? The project was a first step in consultation about measuring autistic adults' QoL, involving only four countries, and all except one group conducted in English. Only one group included people with intellectual disability. How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future? Having good QoL is central for everyone. Our consultation found that some topics highly relevant for autistic people are not included in QoL questionnaires developed for the general population. Our findings suggest that it will be both important and possible to develop a set of internationally appropriate items for autistic people to add to the existing WHO QoL questionnaires. This would allow researchers and health workers to measure accurately the QoL of autistic adults and to be able to judge how helpful supports and services are in improving QoL.
Behaviour is communication (or not) · Tania Melnyczuk
People diagnosed with 'severe autism' typically struggle with a form of apraxia. It is inappropriate to subject them to Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA).
Avoiding Ableist Language: Suggestions for Autism Researchers | Autism in Adulthood
In this commentary, we describe how language used to communicate about autism within much of autism research can reflect and perpetuate ableist ideologies (i.e., beliefs and practices that discriminate against people with disabilities), whether or not researchers intend to have such effects. Drawing largely from autistic scholarship on this subject, along with research and theory from disability studies and discourse analysis, we define ableism and its realization in linguistic practices, provide a historical overview of ableist language used to describe autism, and review calls from autistic researchers and laypeople to adopt alternative ways of speaking and writing. Finally, we provide several specific avenues to aid autism researchers in reflecting on and adjusting their language choices.
Happy Juneteenth Today is the 157th anniversary of the day that news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Galveston, Texas. It’s also the 1st anniversary of the day as a U.S. federal holiday. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863, but its enforcement relied on Union troops that would not reach the most remote parts of the former confederacy until 1865.
Double Empathy: Why Autistic People Are Often Misunderstood
Autism affects how someone makes sense of the world around them. About 1–2% of people are autistic. You might have an autistic classmate or family member, or maybe you are autistic. Autistic people might communicate differently than people who are not autistic. This means that it can be difficult for other people to understand what autistic people are trying to say or what they mean. We tend to think that people who are not autistic might be more successful at understanding other people, but in fact, autistic people may be better understood by other autistic people. We will examine and explain some research that has explored how autistic and non-autistic people communicate with each other and explore how this research fits with a theory called the double empathy problem. Understanding what makes interaction comfortable and easy for different people can help us all understand each other better.
Riot Grrrl social movement documentary. Documental del movimiento social y cultural de las Riot Grrrl. Subtítulos en español disponibles gracias a Ladyfest Madrid 2013.
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