This article was Co-Authored by David Gray-Hammond and Katie Munday Trigger Warning: Discussion of mental health It is a surprisingly contentious discussion to have, but the neurodiversity paradigm does not just apply to autistic people and ADHD’ers. Neurodivergent is a broad and inclusive term that applies to any bodymind that diverges from the neuronormative standardsContinue reading “Neuroqueer: Authentic embodiment of mental health”
Tag Archives: Society
Autism, diagnosis, identity, and culture
For a long time now, we have heard the phrase “If you have met one Autistic person, you have met one Autistic person”. This saying is an oversimplification of the fact that Autistic people have a wide variety of experiences, privileges, and neurocognitive styles. The question I want you to ask yourself is this: WhyContinue reading “Autism, diagnosis, identity, and culture”
Addiction doesn’t strip us of our humanity
Why are addicts stripped of their humanity by society at large? What can we do about it? Are cultural attitudes towards addicts understandable? This article attempts to answer these in brief.
Neuroqueer: An introduction to theory
This article was Co-Authored by David Gray-Hammond, Katie Munday, and Tanya Adkin The emergence and popularisation of Neuroqueer theory in the contemporary disability rights discourse and Autistic rights movement represents a significant step forward. Not only does it encourage pride in ones true self, but it emancipates the Neurologically Queer from the normative attitudes thatContinue reading “Neuroqueer: An introduction to theory”
Shifting the paradigm on world autism day
April 2nd. It’s a day that so many of us dread. For as long as “world autism day” has existed, it is a day where (much like every other day) adherents of the pathology paradigm do their best to drown out the voices of those that proudly display their Autistic selves. Why are we soContinue reading “Shifting the paradigm on world autism day”
Neuroculture and the dangers of homogeneity
Today I decided to learn about monocultures. A monoculture is an environment in which a single crop is cultivated. The problem with monocultures is that a small change can destabilise the entire thing. This got me thinking about something I call neurocultures. A neuroculture can be considered the culture created by a collection of neurocognitiveContinue reading “Neuroculture and the dangers of homogeneity”
Functioning labels, subgroups, neuronormativity, and capitalism
Functioning labels have long been hated in the Autistic community. Not only are they wildly inaccurate, but they do not take the dynamic nature of our disability into account. Despite this, many professionals and laypeople continue to use them, or variations on them. Arguments about the inaccuracy of functioning labels and the assumptions they createContinue reading “Functioning labels, subgroups, neuronormativity, and capitalism”
Is Autopia possible? Realities of an Autistic homeland
At Aucademy we often talk of a perfect Autistic homeland, affectionately dubbed Autopia. Conceptualised as a place in which all Autistics can lead peaceful and comfortable lives, it sounds like a dream come true; but what are the realities of such a place? Is such a place even possible? This evening I was discussing suchContinue reading “Is Autopia possible? Realities of an Autistic homeland”
Neurostandardisation: considering the oppression of neurodivergent individuals
For quite some time now, the neurodiversity movement has spoken about the harmfulness of behavioural techniques. These techniques are used to prevent the outward indications of the Autistic neurotype. They are generally aimed at children, and almost always lead to significant harm being done. The use of such techniques belongs to a wider issue withContinue reading “Neurostandardisation: considering the oppression of neurodivergent individuals”
Medication stigma and overcoming the shame of societies blame
I was happy to see that Autistic Inclusive Meets have restarted the #ShowUsYourMeds campaign. Campaigns like this are essential in normalising the life-saving medication that so many of us rely on day-to-day. Stigma surrounding the use of medication, in particular for the treatment of mental health issues, is still widely prevalent in society, with manyContinue reading “Medication stigma and overcoming the shame of societies blame”
Emergent Divergence 