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”
Tag Archives: Society
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”
Neuroprovincialism, neurocosmopolitanism, and the liminal nature of the neurodiversity movement
Before I start, I highly recommend reading Dr. Nick Walker’s book Neuroqueer Heresies alongside this blog article. In particular, the chapter on Neurocosmopolitanism. It has heavily inspired this piece, and it would not exist without it. Liminality is essentially the point of transition between two states. If one were to walk from the living roomContinue reading “Neuroprovincialism, neurocosmopolitanism, and the liminal nature of the neurodiversity movement”
Marginalisation, discrimination, and the fear of being a hashtag
We’ve seen it happen countless times in recent years. A person from a marginalised demographic (usually BIPOC, disabled, or a combination of the two) is murdered by a figure of authority. Usually the police, a teacher, or carer. They take lives with impunity. The Internet is rightly outraged. Protests and riots occur. Online campaigns areContinue reading “Marginalisation, discrimination, and the fear of being a hashtag”
Autistic people and the social model of addiction
For the better part of a century now, addiction has been treated largely as a matter of criminal justice, with some focus on medical treatment. Unfortunately this approach leaves a considerable amount out of the discussion. Addiction is a complex matter, with a lot of it coming down to socio-economic issues. As an Autistic addict,Continue reading “Autistic people and the social model of addiction”
On the destructive nature of humanity
As Autistic people, we are uniquely wired to find the truest forms of beauty in the world. Our eyes can catch every detail of the rainbow in the mist of water, or the delicate complexity of a spiders web. Still, many of us bring havoc, wilfully and determinedly breaking that which should bring us comfort.Continue reading “On the destructive nature of humanity”
Emergent Divergence 