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The Unmasking Workbook for Autistic Adults
Let this workbook guide you toward your authentic, autistic self. You don’t have to hide anymore. If you grew up before the neurodiversity movement, chances are you were taught at an early age that your autistic traits were “wrong” or “bad.” Whether it was stimming, difficulties with making small talk, avoiding eye contact, sensitivities to loud sounds or certain textures, or even talking passionately about the things you care about—somewhere along the way you learned to mask these aspects of yourself to better fit in, avoid bullying from other kids, and in some cases to even gain the love of your own parents. The problem is that, over time, masking can lead to higher levels of stress, burnout, emotional dysregulation, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and depression. So how can you be your authentic self and still succeed and thrive in a neurotypical world? Written by a therapist who is actually autistic, this neurodiversity-affirming workbook offers skills to help you cultivate self-acceptance, manage intense emotions, and be your own advocate when needed. You’ll take a good look at the situations or people that caused you to mask in the first place. You’ll also discover: How to set and achieve your own authentic goals—with a clear view of who you are and what you care about Why self-love and self-acceptance is so important for autistic folks How to live your life on your own terms, while self-advocating for accommodations How to let go of old, hurtful messages about autistic people that you’ve internalized How autism can be both a strength and a disability Strategies to cope with burnout or meltdowns How to be assertive and set boundaries with others You don’t have to mask, hide, or camouflage any longer. Let this workbook guide you on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance. You are worthy of it. And you deserve it.
Making meaning of belonging
Through an autobiographical film production program for high school students, CANDLE researchers explore a new kind of developmental science in education
Our Stone Soup Community Producing Model - Calling Up Justice!
The story of stone soup is one of collaboration and community resilience. one member has a pot of water a stone and everyone one else is invited to add an ingredient. The result is a nourishing broth for everyone. Imagine creating a community event as a hearty stone soup, where the pot and fire set […]
This is how we win the education war
Nick Covington: Iowa CCI Action is bringing Jennifer Berkshire, co-author of The Education Wars, to Iowa on an organizing tour.
Third Coast Learning Collaborative | Resources
Resources for schools to reimagine what's possible in education centered on project-based learning, portfolios, and purpose-finding.
Anatomy of a Pogrom
Members of Blood Tribe outside City Hall in Springfield, OH How does ethnic violence start, and how does it spread? Who uses it, and for what purpose? The...
Neurodiversity: Sage Journals
Neurodiversity is an open access, peer-reviewed journal with a focus on interdisciplinary approaches to the study of neurodevelopmental conditions and neurodive...
norris-et-al-2024-post-diagnostic-support-for-adults-diagnosed-with-autism-in-adulthood-in-the-uk-a-systematic-review.pdf
Post-diagnostic support for adults diagnosed with autism in adulthood in the UK: A systematic review with narrative synthesis - Jade Eloise Norris, Rebecca Harvey, Laura Hull, 2024
Autism diagnoses in adulthood have risen substantially over recent years. While providing potential benefits, many autistic adults struggle to navigate their ne...
Low-level support services, psychoeducation, and peer support appear acceptable and feasible, with a preference often indicated for autistic-led support. Future research should develop manualised post-diagnostic support programmes and assess their efficacy.
Research shows that autistic adults would like low-level support services, psychoeducation, and peer support, and may also prefer autistic-led support. Further research is required to develop and evaluate post-diagnostic support programmes which include these elements.
Participants reported positive experiences of participating in the programme, in particular, that it was autistic-led. Participants developed a positive and practical outlook after attending the programme.
Participant preference was for autistic-led peer support.
Many highlighted the autistic-led factor as a strength of the programme. Whilst many would have been accepting of a neurotypical-led programme, they preferred autistic-led. The autistic facilitator was felt to be more tolerant and understanding, and provided a positive role model for participants who had recently been diagnosed.
Three themes identified: ‘appreciation of the autistic-led nature of the programme’, ‘unity in diversity’, and ‘developing a positive, practical outlook on autism’.
The autistic-led nature of the psychoeducation programme ‘Exploring Being Autistic’ was highlighted as a strength, in both the in-person and online versions of the programme (Crane et al., 2023; Crane et al., 2021). The autistic facilitator was deemed more understanding, and provided a positive role model for recently diagnosed participants. SHAPE study participants also appreciated hearing positive stories of autism, while participants in the study reported by Hatton and Lee (2022) felt the content should be more positive in their non-autistic-led programme (Beresford et al., 2020). In replicating their study of the Exploring Being Autistic programme when delivered online as opposed to in-person, Crane et al. (2023) noted some unique benefits of online delivery, including increased potential accessibility, reduced cognitive load/preservation of participants’ energy for focusing on the programme, and the opportunity to form meaningful social connections with other group members. However, participants also emphasised the importance of flexibility in delivery format, as technological issues had the potential to hinder access, and some group-based activities (e.g., the use of breakout rooms) were felt to be less effective online (Crane et al., 2023).
Within several studies, autistic people reported more comfortable relationships with other autistic individuals, with a lessened feeling of the need to mask, thereby improving self-perceived confidence and communication skills (Cook et al., 2021; Crane et al., 2021; Hatton & Lee, 2022). In addition, knowledge sharing helped to formulate coping strategies, with some considering sharing with peers to be more critical than the structured educational components of psychoeducation (Crane et al., 2021). Peer-led support was also seen as more authentic by participants in the study by Hull et al. (2024), resulting in a more positive experience of engaging with support overall.
Among the studies in this review, there was a call for autistic-led post-diagnostic support; to provide better understanding, highlight the strengths of being autistic, and to offer positive role models. A desire for this positive framing of autism in post-diagnostic support was reiterated throughout many studies (ARGH, 2018; Campbell et al., 2020; Cook et al., 2021; Crane et al., 2021, 2023; Hatton & Lee, 2022; Holtom & Lloyd Jones, 2019; McConkey et al., 2021). Notably, autistic adults consistently reported greater ease in communicating with other autistic peers. While communication difficulties define an autism diagnosis, recent evidence has shown that peer-to-peer information transfer among autistic people can be highly efficient, suggesting that post-diagnostic support co-produced and led by autistic people may provide benefits (Crompton et al., 2020; Hull et al., 2024).
Furthermore, many third-sector organisations are autistic-led or co-led, and commissioning such services nationwide could contribute to the creation of an expert post-diagnostic service.
Unauthorized Education | Human Restoration Project | Benjamin Ludwig
We used to say that we don’t “teach to the test,” but our curriculum purchases, test schedules, and the requirement to post each day’s lesson standards on the wall send a different message. Published by Human Restoration Project, a 501(c)3 organization restoring humanity to education.
Storytelling in Science Film: Narrative Engagement Relates to Greater Knowledge, Interest, and Identification With Science - Emily L. Howell, Shannon L. Behrman, Elliot Kirschner, Sarah S. Goodwin, 2024
To explore narrative engagement’s impacts on science communication, we examine a representative sample of U.S. adults randomly assigned to watch one of the four...
A fresh understanding of OCD is opening routes to new treatments
We're finally pinning down the mechanisms that drive obsessive-compulsive disorder, revealing a complex combination of imbalanced brain networks, the immune system and even gut microbes
Unpacking radicalisation: how Neurodivergent minds are targeted by the far-right — Neurodiverse Connection
Against the backdrop of the wave of racial-hatred and violence that swept the UK in recent weeks, NdC Development Lead Grace Lee examines how Neurodivergent minds can be vulnerable to exploitation and radicalisation by by far-right narratives and deliberate misinformation, and what can be done to
Neurodivergence, Trauma and Recovery (Part 1/3) — Connecting Back to Nature and Cyclical Living — Neurodiverse Connection
In this three-part series of blogs, NdC Development Lead Kay Aldred examines the complex entanglement of Neurodivergence and trauma, and the implications this has for the concept of “recovery”. In this first part, Kay explores how natural rhythms, such as the seasons, can illuminate an understandi
How Well-Intentioned White Families Can Perpetuate Racism
The sociologist Margaret Hagerman spent two years embedded in upper-middle-class white households, listening in on conversations about race.
The 9.9 Percent Is the New American Aristocracy
The gilded future of the top 10 percent—and the end of opportunity for everyone else
College Admissions Scandals, the New Aristocracy, and the Grading and Ranking of Children
Three reads to go with the college admissions scandal: One of the hazards of life in the 9.9 percent is that our necks get stuck in the upward position. We gaze upon the 0.1 percent with a mixture …
23: What was 9/11? - Anil Dash
A blog about making culture. Since 1999.
Neurodiversity and Ungrading – Crowdsourcing Ungrading
The experiences of autistic adults who were previously diagnosed with borderline or emotionally unstable personality disorder: A phenomenological study - Bruce Tamilson, Jessica A Eccles, Sebastian C K Shaw, 2024
An increasing number of studies are investigating the links between autism and borderline personality disorder. Studies report overlapping differences and the c...
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Autistic Rights and Neurodiversity
Books written by Autistic people about the autistic rights and neurodiversity movements, as wel; as Autistic culture.
Pluralistic: America’s best-paid CEOs have the worst-paid employees (09 Sep 2024) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow
Occurrence and predictors of lifetime suicidality and suicidal ideation in autistic adults - J van Bentum, M Sijbrandij, M Huibers, S Begeer, 2024
In the past 40 years, accumulating evidence suggested that autistic individuals are at an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. This study examined...
Loneliness is another risk factor in the general population that is consistently associated with suicidal ideation and behavior (McClelland et al., 2020; Shaw et al., 2021; Stickley & Koyanagi, 2016). A common misconception is that autistic individuals prefer social isolation (Mazurek, 2014). On the contrary, they often want to develop relationships but may experience social difficulties resulting in unfulfilled social needs (Bauminger et al., 2003; Ee et al., 2019; Hedley et al., 2018). This has been a topic of interest in recent studies (Hedley et al., 2018; Schiltz et al., 2021), and a recent systematic review reported various factors associated with increased loneliness in autistic adults such as autistic characteristics, negative experiences and learned helplessness, anxiety, and depression and suicidal ideation (Grace et al., 2022). We also expect to find an association between loneliness and increased suicidal behavior in our Dutch cohort. A recent study in this cohort revealed that autistic adults’ loneliness and stress levels remained stable over time but were consistently higher than those of non-autistic adults (Scheeren et al., 2022).
Frontiers | The experiences of autistic doctors: a cross-sectional study
IntroductionMedicine may select for autistic characteristics. As awareness and diagnosis of autism are growing, more medical students and doctors may be disc...
What is alexithymia?
Recently i wrote about alexithymia and it's ramifications for our mental health. Since publishing that post, it has come to my attention that many people feel t
Unmasking The Impact of Alexithymia on Autistic Lives
This article explores the impact of alexithymia on Autistic people, challenging common misconceptions about their empathy and social communication. It delves into how alexithymia affects social interactions, mental health support, and self-image. The article advocates for a shift in societal attitudes towards autism and alexithymia, emphasizing the importance of community and acceptance in mitigating its negative impact.
Best Practices for Online Meetings with AAC Users
When planning for meaningful inclusion and participation of our community
Consider an asynchronous or a hybrid option. The pace of most synchronous (real-time) meetings favors people who can speak fluently. That disadvantages us.¹ Asynchronous meetings (e.g., by email or instant messaging) allow us to take as much time as we need to respond, and don’t require us to be ready to communicate at a specific time, among other benefits. If asynchronous communication can achieve the purpose of the meeting, consider offering it as an option or as an alternative.