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The Perils of Normalization

An essay by Gwen McKay. Autistic individuals may, for example, rock back and forth when they are anxious or flap their hands when they are happy and excited. Behavioral programs often focus on suppressing these autistic traits because they are socially stigmatized, without considering whether they serve any useful...

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ACTION ALERT: Restraint & Seclusion Legislation National Call-In Day February 26th

Recently, the House Committee on Education and Labor voted H.R. 4247 out of committee with a vote of 35 to 10. Your hard work has certainly made a difference, but we need your continued efforts to advance this important legislation. Specifically, we need your assistance to get the bill...

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URGENT ACTION ALERT: HR 4247 Going to Committee This Week

H.R. 4247, the Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act is going to be marked up by the House Education and Labor Committee this coming Thursday. In order to avoid amendments to the legislation that could potentially weaken the bill's ability to protect students, it is important we...

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ACTION ALERT: Restraint & Seclusion Legislation National Call-In Day January 21st

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), in conjunction with the Alliance to Prevent Restraint, Aversive Interventions and Seclusion (APRAIS), is asking you to join us in a National Call-In Day on Thursday, January 21st, 2010 to tell your members of Congress to support the Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion...

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ACTION ALERT: Autistic Child Charged with Felony Assault after Resisting Restraint

Action Needed to Protect Child: An 11-year old Autistic boy in Arkansas named Zakhqurey Price is currently being charged with felony assault after fighting back when two staff members restrained him in response to behavioral challenges. The school has ignored repeated efforts from Zakh's grandmother over the course of...

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Thoughts from the Food Pantry

By mid-October, I found myself going to the local food pantry. The last time I'd been there was between the endless succession of jobs won and lost, when I couldn't pinch another penny and the food money ran low. This time I was there because I wanted to volunteer....

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