"Sólo una pequeña fracción de la investigación del autismo ha investigado realmente el envejecimiento y el autismo. Y la literatura publicada que se ha hecho de este tema se ha enfocado en aquellos diagnosticados en la adultez."
Find out what you need to know about autism, from autistic people, professionals, and parents, at www.ThinkingAutism.com. Pro-neurodiversity. Even more TPGA community discussions on IG and FB.
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"Sólo una pequeña fracción de la investigación del autismo ha investigado realmente el envejecimiento y el autismo. Y la literatura publicada que se ha hecho de este tema se ha enfocado en aquellos diagnosticados en la adultez."
Today in "When researchers finally look at autistic adults": "For [autistics] in midlife, menopause is a challenging transition. Many autistic people reported experiencing more severe physical & psychological menopause symptoms compared to non-autistic people." theconversation.com/what-we-do-a...
PSA: Your autistic person might be having “behaviors” because they think your taste in music sucks.
Today in autism books we do NOT recommend: the "Story of Autism" In a Different Key. From M. Kelter's TPGA review: "If you were to only learn about autism by reading In a Different Key, you would imagine it to be a grim, living death sentence." No thank you. thinkingautismguide.com/2016/01/in-d...
“If you find out that you’re Autistic later in life, it does not change who you are. In fact, it doesn’t change who you are regardless of ‘if’ or ‘when’ you find out.” From Reframing Autism’s Starter Pack: reframingautism.org.au/service/welc... #autism #autistic #neurodiversity
Getting attention: Former CDC directors warn that RFK Jr.’s views are putting Americans’ health at risk, highlighting growing concern over public trust in vaccines and evidence-based science. Read more at abcnews.go.com/Health/forme...
This newsletter has been off to an impressive start, and this week's issue is especially important to read before whatever BS statement RFK Jr comes out with about autism.
"Para los estudiantes, los momentos de "inicio" incluyen abrir un sistema de manejo de aprendizaje, redactar la primera oración de un artículo, o incluso enviar un correo electrónico. Cada uno se siente como un lanzamiento de alta fricción."
New paper: “Executive dysfunction means the brain doesn’t always send the necessary signals to get moving. For some, just beginning the day’s tasks can feel like pushing a boulder up a mountain.” TY @neuroscientist.bsky.social.
“Newton’s … law of inertia, tells us that an object at rest stays at rest, & an object in motion stays in motion, unless something intervenes. In daily life, autistic inertia echoes this: Starts, stops, & shifts can require disproportionate effort.” www.psychologicalscience.org/publications... -SR
This video is about gender-affirming fashion and disability. Gender-affirming fashion is clothing and accessories that make the wearer feel good about their gender. Sometimes gender-affirming clothes aren't made for disabled bodies. This video explores that topic. www.youtube.com/watch?app=de...
"Some professionals in the field of special education believe that given their restricted verbal abilities [autistic people] should only be exposed to 1 language. However, my own experience has been very different." Speller & violinist Sid Ramaswamy, at TPGA: thinkingautismguide.com/2025/08/mast...
We're fans of @propublica.org, but they often fail *hard* with autism coverage—including topics like ABA therapy. In our latest newsletter, @ejwillingham.bsky.social questions a recent relentless medicalizing of autism. I dunno, maybe talk to autistic researchers too? buttondown.com/TPGA/archive...
Autistic meltdowns are NOT tantrums and NOT voluntary—they are INvoluntary and in many cases can be avoided. We hope that by highlighting issues that may not be obvious to a bystander, you can help the autistic people in your life thrive, as much as possible: thinkingautismguide.com/2022/01/auti...
The questionable label #profoundAutism has "limited scientific validity and feasibility in everyday practice [as] the term describes autistics whose limited speech or verbal IQ has caused many to underestimate their communication & intelligence." www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13... #neurodiversity #autism
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is one of the most pervasive & harmful practices used with Autistic & ND children. PBS teaches & reinforces that a young person’s natural ways of being are wrong [leading] to masking, burnout, & trauma. @autisticrealms.bsky.social: autisticrealms.com/why-pbs-is-h...
Did you know there's an ENTIRE special edition of @journalautism.bsky.social on the social model of disability, as noted by @ejwillingham.bsky.social in the latest TPGA newsletter? And that the SM doen't deny support needs; it "contextualises them through justice & accessibility, rather than cure"?
Communication is a human right—right? On Sunday, Sept 14, I'll be moderating a panel of four autistic nonspeakers, along with Dr. Vikram Jaswal, discussing how transformative it is when people can access communication that works for them: stanfordneurodiversityproject.stanford.edu/events/day-2...
Satire (but is it really): "A late-discovered autistic woman who spent her whole life masking her autistic traits in order to avoid attracting attention has recently been accused of faking her autism diagnosis to obtain said attention." At @thedailytism.com: thedailytism.com/woman-who-sp... #autism
"It takes time and effort for most people who use AAC to communicate with language. Even when we are accommodated for that time and effort, there may be barriers we cannot surmount on our own." Ways to be courteous, from @communicationfirst.bsky.social: communicationfirst.org/best-practic... #AAC
i've said for decades that in order for a relationship to be successful, you need to have compatible crazies validation thanks to @thinkingautism.com 😆
Anyone who has ever had to deal with a white guy permanently dug into his belief system as a “brand” knows exactly why this man is doing this. He cares abt just one thing: not saying he was wrong
Autistic students who need AAC also need better access to AAC: "Far too many schools have neither the equipment or even the basic materials, not to mention the professionals with the necessary expertise, to support atypical communicators. This needs to change." www.assistiveware.com/blog/autisti...
"[RFK Jr.] is not a 'vaccine skeptic.' He is virulently anti-vaccine because he took that stand many years ago, made bank and reputation on it, and resists all updates to his stance." @ejwillingham.bsky.social on that public health pox, in the latest TPGA newsletter: buttondown.com/TPGA/archive...
We lost @stevesilberman.bsky.social 1 year ago. Steve wrote #NeuroTribes after asking, "why is it [mainstream autism] concerns are so divorced from the real problems that the people on the front lines of autism—autistic people & their families—were facing day to day?” tinyurl.com/NDequitableFuture
i am almost 40 and i literally do not have any point in my life where the right wing has not been doing moral panics about imaginary child abuse while institutionally working to enable real abuse of real children. if it's not the satanic panic it's fucking pronouns.
This is powerful. Nine former CDC leaders just came together to defend SCIENCE. Maybe it’s time we LISTEN TO THEM— not the loud voices spreading MISINFORMATION. Science saves lives. Lies cost them www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/o...
Diane J. Wright is the founder of @autastic.com —a popular autistic resource & community with dedicated spaces for autistic people of color. She talked with TPGA about her advocacy, including shaping the stories of autistic PoC as told in popular media. tinyurl.com/DianeJWright #AutisticWhileBlack
A review found that 90% of autistic people aged over 50 in Britain are either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, and the same is likely true in other countries. Our middle-aged & older autistic people deserve proper supports NOW after a lifetime without accommodations. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Just saw someone refer to Cheryl Hines as The Marvelous Mrs. Measles and 💀💀💀💀💀💀
It’s COLOR TASTE TEXTURE’s 2nd Book Birthday!! Thank you for everyone who has purchased my book. Its creation was such a journey and it holds so much importance to me. I went from living in a homeless shelter to having a Big5 contract within the span of 2 years, and I couldn’t be prouder of my book.
Did you know that Lexi Jones is autistic? “I recently saw an autism evaluator and received a formal diagnosis. […] Hearing that out loud did not change who I am. It gave me a name to the experience I have spent my whole life trying to understand.” www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-bo... #neurodiversity
PSA: Your autistic person might be having “behaviors” because they think your taste in music sucks.
Oh, Bluesky. Tomorrow's @thinkingautism.com newsletter's gonna keep you reading. Come for a lil catharsis, stay for to learn about some cool people Subscribe now! buttondown.com/TPGA/archive/
“If you find out that you’re Autistic later in life, it does not change who you are. In fact, it doesn’t change who you are regardless of ‘if’ or ‘when’ you find out.” From Reframing Autism’s Starter Pack: reframingautism.org.au/service/welc... #autism #autistic #neurodiversity
Every single thing, EVERY SINGLE THING, that RFK has done was predictable and predicted. He is doing what every other fascist eugenicist has done before him. The disability community has been warning about this for YEARS. It is not in any way shape or form mysterious and unknowable.
We're fans of @propublica.org, but they often fail *hard* with autism coverage—including topics like ABA therapy. In our latest newsletter, @ejwillingham.bsky.social questions a recent relentless medicalizing of autism. I dunno, maybe talk to autistic researchers too? buttondown.com/TPGA/archive...
Really helpful for anyone trying to understand autistic meltdowns (and autistic people generally!) Better
This ND Summit is always wonderful! I’ve attended virtually for the last several years & encourage everyone to tune in. Going in person this year. Offer for free virtual tickets here👇🏼
Check out this "Autism Checklist of DOOM" provided by @thinkingautism.com to learn more about common triggers and helpful recommendations for individuals with autism. This resource can support self-advocacy and also guide others in interacting more mindfully. 👇👇👇
Please put on endless repeat: "It is important for researchers, doctors, and the public to recognize both the strengths and challenges of autistic adults to create a more balanced view of autism." pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40856551/ #autism #neurodiversity #autistic
Please say hi! I'll be there IRL every day. -SR
Have you seen the Stanford Neurodiversity Summit's incredible panels for Sept 13-15? Let us know if you would like a complimentary virtual ticket (we have 50 but they're going fast). Email ThinkingAutism at Gmail to reserve: stanfordneurodiversityproject.stanford.edu/event/series... #neurodiversity
"Our community does not get safer by adding more police. It does not get safer by hurting disabled people and unhoused people. Our community gets safer by us working together. It gets safer by us listening to each other." From @autisticadvocacy.org: autisticadvocacy.org/2025/08/plai... #disability
"As a scholar of rhetoric and the mother of an autistic child, in the language of MAHA I hear a disregard for the humanity of people with disabilities and a shift from supporting them to blaming them for their needs." By Beth Donelson, at @theconversation.com: theconversation.com/how-federal-...
Locking down your phone, being mindful of what you're wearing, and coming up with plans to communicate with others are all key steps to take before attending a protest. ssd.eff.org/module/atte...
to all of you who share any of my special interests: i love sharing my special interests with you to all of you who have different special interests: i love hearing about your special interests and sharing in your enthusiasm
Non-autistics, please allow autistics "sufficient processing time for both comprehension and production, respect communication preferences (e.g., for written communication), & trust their words even when their nonverbals appear to be sending a conflicting signal." journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
Yes, this: "I’m really not interested in any conversation that’s not about birds. But, I’ll tell you what, there’s nothing I love more than standing in front of 1,000 people in a theatre and telling them about birds." @seanronayne.bsky.social thegloss.ie/ornithologis... #autistic #neurodiversity
I would not be surprised either, given that during INSAR 2025, Alison Singer of the Autism Science Foundation praised RFK Jr. for "shining a bright light" on "profound autism," and that Jill Escher of the NCSA flew to DC and took smiling photos with the HHS secretary. Both endlessly flog the term.
Autistic meltdowns are NOT tantrums and NOT voluntary—they are INvoluntary and in many cases can be avoided. We hope that by highlighting issues that may not be obvious to a bystander, you can help the autistic people in your life thrive, as much as possible: thinkingautismguide.com/2022/01/auti...
The questionable label #profoundAutism has "limited scientific validity and feasibility in everyday practice [as] the term describes autistics whose limited speech or verbal IQ has caused many to underestimate their communication & intelligence." www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13... #neurodiversity #autism
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is one of the most pervasive & harmful practices used with Autistic & ND children. PBS teaches & reinforces that a young person’s natural ways of being are wrong [leading] to masking, burnout, & trauma. @autisticrealms.bsky.social: autisticrealms.com/why-pbs-is-h...
Did you know there's an ENTIRE special edition of @journalautism.bsky.social on the social model of disability, as noted by @ejwillingham.bsky.social in the latest TPGA newsletter? And that the SM doen't deny support needs; it "contextualises them through justice & accessibility, rather than cure"?
Guy Singh-Watson, the most brutally honest farmer in Britain says his autism diagnosis "helped him understand why […] he had never needed the approval of others: 'I don’t really care.' You can read more about Singh-Watson in this week's TPGA newsletter, wittily curated by @ejwillingham.bsky.social.
The Stanford Neurodiversity Summit will be Sept 13-15. Once again we are offering tickets for up to 50 online attendees! Info linked below. Contact us at ThinkingAutism at gmail if you'd like a ticket. It's going to be a fantastic event. stanfordneurodiversityproject.stanford.edu/stanford-neu...
"It takes time and effort for most people who use AAC to communicate with language. Even when we are accommodated for that time and effort, there may be barriers we cannot surmount on our own." Ways to be courteous, from @communicationfirst.bsky.social: communicationfirst.org/best-practic... #AAC
When you're autistic, it’s not always easy to simply turn your most passionate special interests off—especially "if some component of it turns out to be problematic—or downright harmful." Sarah Kurchak @fodderfigure.bsky.social has solid advice, at TPGA: tinyurl.com/CanceledSpecialInterests #autism
"When I see non-autistic people who refuse to acknowledge the humanity of autistic people, I want to suggest they read The Murderbot Diaries. If they did, I think that this robot could teach them something important about being human." @cnjosephs.bsky.social reactormag.com/murderbot-an... #Murderbot
Autistic students who need AAC also need better access to AAC: "Far too many schools have neither the equipment or even the basic materials, not to mention the professionals with the necessary expertise, to support atypical communicators. This needs to change." www.assistiveware.com/blog/autisti...
Anti-vaxxers aren’t stupid. But they are getting brainwashed. How can we Talk about Vaccines in an Era of Scientific Mistrust? By @tarahaelle.bsky.social: www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-... Remember, #vaccinesWork and have nothing to do with autism (except in keeping autistics healthy.)
Repeat after us: Repeatedly researching a "link" between Tylenol use in pregnant women and autism in their babies is overlooking SO many obvious factors, which @ejwillingham.bsky.social lays out in the latest TPGA newsletter. Savor the autism snark, subscribe—& share! buttondown.com/TPGA/archive...
That is tragedy, in Austria the situation is not better, I have been misdiagnosed so many times until this year I got my autism diagnosis. It is a big relief, but to get proper help is a challenge
The criminalization Of Black Autistic Behavior 👨🏽🦱👩🏽🦱
Since the start of COVID, the number of people reporting a disability soared. Yet the majority of the world acts like COVID is over, and Long COVID doesn't exist.
If I were making “Congratulations on the Autism” welcome baskets, this book would be in every one.
We need more voices. We need more people to be publicly pushing back. They have been all over the media raising awareness of the dangerous choices Kennedy is making. They are upholding CDC’s mission by resigning. There is no shame in leaving when leaving is the last tool you have left.
There comes a point when we can no longer “fight from within”. A point when the best way to protect the American people is to leave CDC. Deb, Dan, and Demetre reached that point. We are so proud of them for resigning. Loudly. As a warning. This is not surrender. This is fighting back.
This is an incredible post. If you have an autistic child, I encourage you to read it (regardless if your child is in ABA or not). Some seriously great tips.
OK, so what are the alternatives to ABA therapy? @stimpunks.org has a manifesto: stimpunks.org/why/alternat... #autism #autistic #neurodiversity
We lost @stevesilberman.bsky.social 1 year ago. Steve wrote #NeuroTribes after asking, "why is it [mainstream autism] concerns are so divorced from the real problems that the people on the front lines of autism—autistic people & their families—were facing day to day?” tinyurl.com/NDequitableFuture
Autistics can enjoy socializing—with other autistics: "We found that many autistic people had positive experiences of spending time with other autistic people & these experiences had positive impact on their lives in a range of different ways." By Watts et al: journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
Pay attention. Your family’s safety is on the line.
They're openly calling to lock up every trans person by force. We need every ally to speak out forcefully against this because trans folks cannot do this on our own.
A review found that 90% of autistic people aged over 50 in Britain are either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, and the same is likely true in other countries. Our middle-aged & older autistic people deserve proper supports NOW after a lifetime without accommodations. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Airports have SO many hidden barriers for autistic and neurodivergent people, who can find the entire process overwhelming and even frightening, leading to panic or freezing responses. Features interviews with autistic people themselves. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pis... #autism #neurodiversity
Did you know that Lexi Jones is autistic? “I recently saw an autism evaluator and received a formal diagnosis. […] Hearing that out loud did not change who I am. It gave me a name to the experience I have spent my whole life trying to understand.” www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-bo... #neurodiversity
"I had never seen a single book that portrayed a character with autism in a way that helped me to 'see' myself. It was my goal to make [Jo] neurodivergent in the way you might have a character with any other trait." Author @bschillace.brandyschillace.com: thinkingautismguide.com/2024/08/a-mu...
"For autistic people who are nonspeaking or have intermittent, unreliable, or insufficient speech, being denied access to augmentative & alternative communication (AAC) tools and supports that work for them results in a kind of complex trauma in & of itself." autismspectrumnews.org/can-being-de...
I'll be moderating three panels at the upcoming Stanford Neurodiversity Summit, and am especially delighted about the session Communication As a Human Right, featuring four non-speaking panelists—as well Dr. Vikram Jaswal: stanfordneurodiversityproject.stanford.edu/events/day-2... #neurodiversity
Please put on endless repeat: "It is important for researchers, doctors, and the public to recognize both the strengths and challenges of autistic adults to create a more balanced view of autism." pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40856551/ #autism #neurodiversity #autistic
"When you're an adult-identified autistic person, your true self can be buried very far down. The decades you’ve lived masked can mean it's difficult to find what really brings you meaningful joy." Diane J. Wright of @autastic.com at TPGA: thinkingautismguide.com/2025/08/dian... #AutisticWhileBlack
DON'T MISS! Verbal Collaboration in Same- & Mixed-Neurotype Groups of Autistic & Non-Autistic Adults by @sarah-foster.bsky.social et al examined verbal collaboration during a group tower-building task among autistic and non-autistic adults NEW FREE to Aug 28 www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/...
"A saying amongst those of us who fight pseudoscience: All roads lead to autism. Just about any snake-oil cure being marketed on the internet—or through a clinical trial—will be indicated for a host of conditions; autism is nearly always on the list." childrensrights.substack.com/p/autistic-c...
I know! And yes everything will be recorded.
Yes plus the tickets are for online attendance only.
Have you seen the Stanford Neurodiversity Summit's incredible panels for Sept 13-15? Let us know if you would like a complimentary virtual ticket (we have 50 but they're going fast). Email ThinkingAutism at Gmail to reserve: stanfordneurodiversityproject.stanford.edu/event/series... #neurodiversity
"Our community does not get safer by adding more police. It does not get safer by hurting disabled people and unhoused people. Our community gets safer by us working together. It gets safer by us listening to each other." From @autisticadvocacy.org: autisticadvocacy.org/2025/08/plai... #disability
"People agreed strongly that research can play a powerful role in shaping good Autistic lives [but] big changes were needed [e.g.,] researchers should stop thinking about autism narrowly and in a negative way, where Autistic people are seen as the problem." journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
"As a scholar of rhetoric and the mother of an autistic child, in the language of MAHA I hear a disregard for the humanity of people with disabilities and a shift from supporting them to blaming them for their needs." By Beth Donelson, at @theconversation.com: theconversation.com/how-federal-...
Non-autistics, please allow autistics "sufficient processing time for both comprehension and production, respect communication preferences (e.g., for written communication), & trust their words even when their nonverbals appear to be sending a conflicting signal." journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
"Elevators are nightmare etiquette boxes. I’ve only ever had awkward experiences in them. They’re packed with too many subtle, unwritten social rules; I always find a way to make mistakes. I’ve learned to just take the stairs." M. Kelter in the TPGA archives: thinkingautismguide.com/2014/04/auti...
Yes, this: "I’m really not interested in any conversation that’s not about birds. But, I’ll tell you what, there’s nothing I love more than standing in front of 1,000 people in a theatre and telling them about birds." @seanronayne.bsky.social thegloss.ie/ornithologis... #autistic #neurodiversity
"A neurodivergent household in which individuals have differing sensory needs is a situation that can only end in some sort of 4-way duel, experts have warned." And often why autistics w/communication disabilities have meltdowns "for no reason." @thedailytism.com: thedailytism.com/housemates-c...
Guy Singh-Watson, the most brutally honest farmer in Britain says his autism diagnosis "helped him understand why […] he had never needed the approval of others: 'I don’t really care.' You can read more about Singh-Watson in this week's TPGA newsletter, wittily curated by @ejwillingham.bsky.social.
Great, please email us.
The Stanford Neurodiversity Summit will be Sept 13-15. Once again we are offering tickets for up to 50 online attendees! Info linked below. Contact us at ThinkingAutism at gmail if you'd like a ticket. It's going to be a fantastic event. stanfordneurodiversityproject.stanford.edu/stanford-neu...
When you're autistic, it’s not always easy to simply turn your most passionate special interests off—especially "if some component of it turns out to be problematic—or downright harmful." Sarah Kurchak @fodderfigure.bsky.social has solid advice, at TPGA: tinyurl.com/CanceledSpecialInterests #autism
Truly autism-friendly vacation homes are designed to accommodate people of all ages. Spectrum House in Fire Island, NY has a sensory gym that is built for adult (& adult-sized) visitors. NB: Spectrum House is owned by a TPGA editor, and is available for Labor Day. ;) www.curbed.com/article/auti...
Hank Ering 🇨🇦💙🌊 
