Open Society

Neurodivergence has been established as associated with a significant number of co-occurring physical conditions, particularly for autistic individuals who are at risk for increased pain, hypermobi...

People keep asking me how the Autistic community views polyvagal theory. Right now, I can’t speak for the community’s perspective. People are just now learning about the theory, so we don’t have any consensus data from the Autistic community about agreement or disagreement. I can, however, speak for

With anxiety, depression and stress on the climb, have you ever wondered how you can understand your reactions to life’s challenges and stressors? Or maybe you wondered how you can become more resilient? Did you know that you can map your own nervous system? This is such a powerful tool that can help you shift the state of your nervous system to help you feel more mindful, grounded, and joyful during the day, and more importantly during your life. Before we discuss how to map your nervous system, let's break down the autonomic nervous system a bit more.

Autistic parent & teacher advocating for a better understanding of neurodivergence in education & mental health

Autistic young people often struggle to cope with the daily demands of school and are likelier to experience poorer well-being and educational outcomes than their non-autistic peers. Among other difficulties, this may be because mainstream settings are unsuitable for individuals’ sensory needs. Evidence suggests the unpredictable multi-sensory nature of school can elicit sensory distress, adversely affecting behaviour and learning. However, existing literature has primarily taken a top-down deductive approach and largely neglected autistic voices. The present study, therefore, employed a participatory approach and photo-elicitation semi-structured interview method to explore autistic students’ sensory experiences in a mainstream secondary school in the U.K. The sample consisted of seven students aged 12-16 with a clinical diagnosis of autism attending a state comprehensive school in Suffolk, U.K. One participant was lost through attrition. Through reflexive thematic analysis, three main themes were identified: 1) Impact of the school environment; 2) Levels of support and understanding; and 3) Fear of stigma/negative responses. This study’s findings suggest autistic students are routinely overstimulated, overwhelmed, and lack adequate support to overcome sensory barriers in mainstream settings. This study has implications for further participatory research and inclusive practice to ensure better educational experiences and outcomes for autistic young people.

Exclusive: OECD data on students’ motivation and sense of belonging at school calls into question validity of national rankings, experts say

People who say of Nazis “deal with bad ideas is by defeating them in the marketplace of ideas” are smuggling in the notion that Nazi ideas have not already been defeated on the merits, and are still valid and worthy to consider, or that Nazi "ideas" involve bloodless debate.

Over the weekend, a game developer in Boston named Brianna Wu fled her home after an online stalker vowed to rape and kill her. She isn't the first woman who's been forced into hiding by aggrieved video game fans associated with Gamergate, the self-styled reform movement that's become difficult to ignore over the…

“It means unapologetically loving and fighting for all parts of me.”

The strangest things happen to other people’s bodies. Then they began happening to my own.

Unions play a crucial role in determining wages and employment outcomes. However, union bargaining power may also have important effects on non-pecuniary working conditions. We study the effects of r...

These recordings of our Trans Facts document, written anonymously for RTiE, are read by E. They are also on SoundCloud. Further recordings will follow. 1. Preamble. 2. Sex is not binary. 3. Gender …

Children with neurodevelopmental diagnoses often experience discrimination from their peers at school. This may result from a lack of understanding, and intoler...

Peer support in mainstream high schools may help neurodivergent young people to thrive and navigate challenging experiences. Previous research with diagnosis-sp...

A large sample of autistic and non-autistic adults was recruited to investigate whether self-reported beliefs about their own and other people’s mindreading abi...

One of the most important things autistic people can offer to parents is interpretation skills, like autistic languages of love and caring.

If education systems were designed from the ground up to develop self-awareness and reflection; wisdom and discernment; kindness, empathy and compassion; ecological and ecosystems awareness, mastery and responsibility; gratitude, social integration and harmony; co-creative agency, joyful participation and commitment; and our very best selves, what might those systems look like? Published by Human Restoration Project, a 501(c)3 organization restoring humanity to education.

The stress of living with autism is exhausting.

Author Chuck Tingle wears a mask during public appearances to help manage his social...

Author Chuck Tingle wears a mask during public appearances to help manage his social...

hey there buckaroos. due to all of the attention the TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION situation has gotten i am going to take a minute to talk about my personal way as an autistic buckaroo. im going to tell…

A free community event dedicated to celebrating neurodiversity and providing resources and support for individuals who have autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and more.

Understanding autistic burnout and exploring ways to support young people at home and school.

Experiencing School Attendance Problems & Barriers?

While not a story of exclusivity relating solely to autism, School Distress is a story dominated by complex neurodivergence and a seemingly systemic failure to meet the needs of these CYP. Given the disproportionate number of disabled CYP impacted, we ask whether the United Kingdom is upholding its …

Three quarters of children (76.2%) who were diagnosed with autism also had traits of other neurodivergent neurotypes – including traits associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning and motor differences – according to a new study

This article presents a critical phenomenology of embodiment in radical democratic struggles, focusing on racialized citizens inhabiting and navigating public spaces and on anti-racist protests. It...

Friendships can be difficult for autistic children and therefore understanding their experiences is necessary to support successful and meaningful friendship development. The purpose of this systematic review is to synthesise qualitative findings on how autistic children experience friendships. Searches identified six studies exploring the friendship experiences of autistic children in UK primary school settings and their results were synthesised using thematic synthesis. Findings highlight the common and unique experiences of friendship among autistic children. Autistic children reported having a desire for friendships, with many particularly valuing shared interests and companionship, and it was evident that autistic children can and do make and maintain successful friendships. Autistic children across all settings spoke of what they believed friendship to be and their understanding of friendship differed from that of key adults, highlighting the importance of including autistic children themselves in the design and implementation of social support interventions. Autistic children in special schools appeared to face fewer challenges than peers in mainstream education. We also noted a clear want for more training and education on neurodiversity to increase understanding of the needs and wants of autistic children across all school settings.

OPINION: The only government-funded therapy for autistic children is called Applied Behaviour Analysis, an approach developed in tandem with discredited anti-LGBTQ2S+ practises