Open Society

IntroductionSelf-determination is a fundamental human right positively related to quality of life. However, Autistic people are reported to be less self-determined than non-autistic people. We aimed to (1) understand what self-determination means to Autistic people from their perspective, (2) explore their perceptions of current barriers to being self-determined, and (3) learn from Autistic people about how they would like to be supported to be self-determined.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were done with 19 Autistic adults without co-occurring intellectual disability. Data were analyzed by three Autistic and two non-autistic researchers through an iterative process of data familiarization, coding, and theme development, informed by reflexive thematic analysis. Autistic Community Partners (ACP) were also engaged throughout the study, and provided substantive feedback on all methods and results.ResultsSelf-determination held the same meaning for Autistic people as non-autistic people. More specifically, participants discussed having the opportunity and support to make choices and decisions in life without unnecessary control from others. Experiences of self-determination were centered around: (1) lack of opportunity, influenced by ableist expectations and discrimination, and (2) executive processing differences that interfered with choice and decision-making. Desired areas of support related to providing opportunities to (1) make choices and exert autonomy, (2) be suppor...

I remember the first time I heard the term Autism actually being applied to someone: I was seventeen, it was 1997, and I was volunteering with a local respite care team during the Summer Holidays. …

It was recently argued that autism researchers committed to rejecting ableist frameworks in their research may sacrifice “scientifically accurate” conceptualizations of autism. In this perspective piece, we argue that: (a) anti-ableism vs. scientific accuracy is a false dichotomy, (b) there is no ideology-free science that has claim to scientific accuracy, and (c) autism science has a history of false leads in part because of unexamined ableist ideologies that undergird researcher framings and interpretations of evidence. To illustrate our claims, we discuss several avenues of autism research that were promoted as scientific advances, but were eventually debunked or shown to have much less explanatory value than initially proposed. These research programs have involved claims about autism etiology, the nature of autism and autistic characteristics, and autism intervention. Common to these false leads have been ableist assumptions about autism that inform researcher perspectives. Negative impacts of this work have been mitigated in some areas of autism research, but these perspectives continue to exert influence on the lives of autistic people, including the availability of services, discourses about autism, and sociocultural conceptualizations of autistic people. Examining these false leads may help current researchers better understand how ableism may negatively influence their areas of inquiry. We close with a positive argument that promoting anti-ableism can be done in ...

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.

Camouflaging, or the use of strategies by autistic people to minimize the visibility of their autistic traits in social situations, is associated with…

In my day job, I talk to a lot of Autistic people. I mean a lot of Autistic people. One of the most common questions I am asked is how to better account for limited reserves of energy and cognitive resources. The answer sounds deceptively simple, but in reality, it can be a really complicated

Listening to the experts: person-centred approaches to supporting autistic people and people with an intellectual disability in the mental health system - Volume 29 Issue 5

For many, lockdown was a relief. Some never went back at all. As a new academic year begins for most of the UK, more children than ever are worried about returning. What’s being done to get them into the classroom – and is that always the best idea?

Five artists on the autism spectrum express what independence means to them.

Instead of assigning blame to students and their families, educators must understand challenging behavior as a “collective public health reality.”

Of the details reported about the murder of Malcoum Tate, in which Malcoum was killed by his younger sister at the side of the road while their mother waited in the car, the most striking is the fact that she shot him thirteen times. On December 19, 1988, Lothell Tate, thirty-two, used a .25-caliber weapon […]

Today we remember Oliver Sacks. A naturalist, a writer, a psychonaut, but first and foremost a physician and explorer of the human condition. In this clip from a lecture he gave at Vanderbilt University in 1999, he talks about how many different "ways of being" there are. pic.twitter.com/BUO0wdV5m9— Oliver Sacks Fdn. (@OliverSacks) August 30, 2023

The concept of ‘ma’ represents a space of potentiality, a space that is open to the emergence of new ideas and experiences. Through the…

We introduce Crip Linguistics as a theoretical and abolitionist framework. People use languages in different ways. Some people use language to help find other people like themselves. Many people use language in specific ways because of how their body and mind work. Sometimes a person’s material conditions, and environment forces them to use language in a certain way. When someone languages outside of what people think is normal, others can think they are bad with language, or are not as smart as someone else. No one is actually ‘bad with language.’ We want to help people understand that no language is bad. It is okay to want to change your language use if it will make you feel better. No one should make you feel badly about your language. We need a bigger and more flexible understanding of what language is.

Restorative practices is the science of relationships and community. When applied in schools, restorative practices proactively improves climate and culture. Restorative practices also provides responses to wrongdoing that focus on repairing harm. Th...

It was recently argued that autism researchers committed to rejecting ableist frameworks in their research may sacrifice "scientifically accurate" conceptualizations of autism. In this perspective piece, we argue that: (a) anti-ableism vs. scientific accuracy is a false dichotomy, (b) there is no ideology-free science that has claim to scientific accuracy, and (c) autism science has a history of false leads in part because of unexamined ableist ideologies that undergird researcher framings and interpretations of evidence. To illustrate our claims, we discuss several avenues of autism research that were promoted as scientific advances, but were eventually debunked or shown to have much less explanatory value than initially proposed. These research programs have involved claims about autism etiology, the nature of autism and autistic characteristics, and autism intervention. Common to these false leads have been ableist assumptions about autism that inform researcher perspectives. Negative impacts of this work have been mitigated in some areas of autism research, but these perspectives continue to exert influence on the lives of autistic people, including the availability of services, discourses about autism, and sociocultural conceptualizations of autistic people. Examining these false leads may help current researchers better understand how ableism may negatively influence their areas of inquiry. We close with a positive argument that promoting anti-ableism can be done in ...

Universal Workplace Ultranauts' work environment is intentionally designed to be inclusive of everyone, which we call a Universal Workplace. While the  concept of a Universal Workplace continues to evolve, it is underpinned by several Management Principles that have remained constant over time. These Principles define what is vital in the design of our organization, shape

Lisa Wennerth interviews Alex Shevrin Venet, author Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education . Venet explains how schools can become more truly trauma-informed when they center equity and employ “proactive priorities” in planning and decision making. A long time ungrader, Alex examines how the sam

Purpose WordPress believes our community should be truly open for everyone. As such, we are committed to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for all, regardless of gender, sexual o…