Neurodiversity-affirming language: A letter to your family, friends and support network

Following on from the downloadable letter we created to help your child’s support network adopt neurodiversity-affirming language, here is a similar letter that Autistic adults can share with their family, friends, work colleagues and broader support network inviting them to adopt respectful language that validates Autistic identity.

My Autistic Journey and the Birth of Au-some Women

Following the diagnosis of her son, Natalie Garmson had a lightbulb moment that explained her life to date – she, too, is Autistic. Unable to find any support groups specifically for Autistic women, she set out to create Au-some Women where women meet in person or online and share their lived experience, insight and tips, and empower each other to love their authentic selves.

How to prepare Autistically for COVID-19: Essential tips from an Autistic Doctor

During the COVID-19 pandemic – when the only certainty in life is uncertainty – times can be fraught, and Autistic people are especially vulnerable. Without our usual support networks in place and with many of us dealing with co-occurring inflammatory conditions and autoimmune dysfunction, we’re at greater risk of worse prognostic outcomes. In this must-read tip sheet, an Autistic doctor shares her essential tips for preparing for and managing COVID-19 as an Autistic person.

Neurodiversity-affirming language: A letter to your child’s support network

Have you ever wished your child’s teachers, therapists and social workers – or even extended family and friends – would use uplifting, self-affirming terminology when discussing your Autistic child? The Reframing Autism team have, so we created this printable letter full of respectful, Autistic-informed language to share with your child’s support network.

Flourishing in Education

“The only way we can expect Autistic students to flourish as their authentic selves in education is by designing our classrooms, schools and places of learning with the understanding that neurodiversity is the rule, not the exception.” In this insightful blog, US-based educator, McAlister Greiner Huynh, also known as the Neurodivergent Teacher on Facebook and Instagram shares her talk made at the Autistic Flourishing Symposium on how we can help Autistic students flourish in their education. 

Creating Actually Autistic Care

In this guest blog, Autistic author Josephine Moon describes her journey to establishing Actually Autistic Care, a therapy provider which offers individuals Autistic connection, support, retreats and therapy led by Autistic individuals who truly understand what it means to walk through a neurotypical word with a neurodivergent brain.

“I’m Proud to be a Little Bit Different”: The Effects of Autistic Individuals’ Perceptions of Autism and Autism Social Identity on Their Collective Self-esteem, a summary for non-academics

In this open access research coming out of the UK, Rosalind Cooper and colleagues surveyed Autistic adults. The aim was to understand how perceiving Autistic attributes positively and identifying as Autistic and as part of the Autistic community might be associated with wellbeing.

Introduction to Autism, Part 5: Neurodiversity (What is it and why do we care?)

Often when we discuss Autism, and a strengths-based approach to Autism, we invoke the term “neurodiversity”. But what is neurodiversity, how is it related to Autism, and what does it mean for the way we think about Autism? 

The Autistic Doula: Navigating the sensory challenges of motherhood

In this engaging guest blog, an Autistic doula shares some of her experience as a mother and a doula as well as some practical tips to help overcome some of the unique challenges Autistic mothers face during pregnancy, birth and postpartum.