Like other people with disabilities, many autistic people who are victims of abusive relationships are particularly vulnerable and may have great difficulty escaping from a life-threatening situation. If, because of the bigoted stereotype that the autistic partner is always to blame for family problems, an abused autistic’s cries for help go unanswered, this could result in her death at the hands of her abuser.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Since communication difficulties are experienced by many, if not most, people on the autism spectrum, funding research in this area should be a high priority. Advances in communication technology, and the development of AAC options that are affordable, will have a practical application to the lives of people on the autism spectrum, throughout the entire lifespan.
An article in Salon.com describes the prominent role of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network in advancing the Autistic culture and seeking to improve quality of life and…
Self-Advocate Mourned: Alyric, a well-respected blogger in the Autistic community, has passed away. Her strong stand for justice and honesty, her kindness and encouragement, and her contributions to our community will be greatly missed.
Petition Against Hate Groups: ASAN has prepared a petition calling on Dr. Tony Attwood and Dr. Isabelle Hénault to disassociate themselves from hate groups promoting stereotypes and libels that seek to encourage discrimination against Autistic people in family law and relationships.
The decision to use the word Autistic is a deliberate and political one – whilst it can be acknowledged that person first language has had an impact upon the way people who experience disability are viewed it has also performed the role (in people’s minds) of extracting that which can not be extracted from a person…
On Friday, April 17th, 2009 ASAN President Ari Ne’eman delivered the keynote address at the National Federation of the Blind’s Disability Law Symposium. You can listen to…
An essay by Maddy McEwen… if you’re very lucky, with a fair wind behind you, you may, and I repeat may, receive reimbursement… the insurance company writes to inform you that they wish to ensure that the therapy is working. To ensure that the therapy is working you must now have an additional evaluation done by each therapist for each child, which will not be reimbursed, to prove that they are indeed still autistic and still in need of services.
Debunking Myths: There are many popular myths about Autistic people that have little basis in reality. This article lists several common myths, followed by an explanation of the actual facts.
Shift in Focus Recommended: Research should address the domains measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument. The research agenda should respect the wishes of autistic individuals and their families, many of whom have written in response to Requests for Information.
An essay by Susan Etlinger. J. and I made the decision to raise Isaac in the city early on. Both kids of the suburbs, we loved the idea of being able to walk anywhere from our front door, or hop on the bus at a moment’s notice. We loved the diversity, the parks, the energy of city life, the variety of things to do. But I can’t help feeling a little melancholy that the sounds that soothed me as a child–the hum of wildlife going about its daily business–are not available to him.
Causation and Cure Focus Excessive: These priorities are out of step with the needs and desires of the autistic community. In the year 2008, only approximately 1% of the NIMH autism research budget was allocated to services research.
