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Diagnoses of autism have become more frequent since the 1980s,which has led to various controversies about both the cause of autism and the nature of the diagnoses themselves. Whether autism has mainly a genetic or developmental cause,and the degree of coincidence between autism and intellectual disability,are all matters of current scientific controversy as well as inquiry. There is also more sociopolitical debate as to whether autism should be considered a disability on its own.
The neurodiversity paradigm is a framework for understanding human brain function that recognizes the diversity within sensory processing,motor abilities,social comfort,cognition,and focus as neurobiological differences. This diversity falls on a spectrum of neurocognitive function. The neurodiversity paradigm argues that diversity in human cognition is normal and that some conditions generally classified as disorders,such as autism,are differences and disabilities that are not necessarily pathological.
The autism rights movement,also known as the autistic acceptance movement,is a social movement allied with the disability rights movement. It emphasizes the neurodiversity paradigm,viewing autism as a set of naturally occurring variations in human cognition rather than as a disease to be cured or a disorder to be treated,diverging from the medical model of disability.
Autistic Pride Day is a pride celebration for autistic people held on 18 June each year. Autistic pride recognises the importance of pride for autistic people and its role in bringing about positive changes in the broader society.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to autism:
Societal and cultural aspects of autism or sociology of autism come into play with recognition of autism,approaches to its support services and therapies,and how autism affects the definition of personhood. The autistic community is divided primarily into two camps;the autism rights movement and the pathology paradigm. The pathology paradigm advocates for supporting research into therapies,treatments,and/or a cure to help minimize or remove autistic traits,seeing treatment as vital to help individuals with autism,while the neurodiversity movement believes autism should be seen as a different way of being and advocates against a cure and interventions that focus on normalization,seeing it as trying to exterminate autistic people and their individuality. Both are controversial in autism communities and advocacy which has led to significant infighting between these two camps. While the dominant paradigm is the pathology paradigm and is followed largely by autism research and scientific communities,the neurodiversity movement is highly popular among most autistic people,within autism advocacy,autism rights organizations,and related neurodiversity approaches have been rapidly growing and applied in the autism research field in the last few years.
Autism,also called autism spectrum disorder (ASD),is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by symptoms of deficient reciprocal social communication and the presence of restricted,repetitive,and inflexible patterns of behavior. Autism generally affects a person's ability to understand and connect with others,as well as their adaptability to everyday situations,with its severity and support needs varying widely across the spectrum. For example,some are nonspeaking,while others have very proficient spoken language.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) or autism spectrum conditions (ASCs) describe a range of conditions classified as neurodevelopmental disorders in the DSM-5,used by the American Psychiatric Association. As with many neurodivergent people and conditions,the popular image of autistic people and autism itself is often based on inaccurate media representations. Additionally,media about autism may promote pseudoscience such as vaccine denial or facilitated communication.
Gunilla Gerland is a Swedish author and lecturer on the topic of autism. Her written works include Secrets to Success for Professionals in the Autism Field:An Insider's Guide to Understanding the Autism Spectrum,the Environment and Your Role and her autobiography A Real Person:Life on the Outside.
The history of autism spans over a century;autism has been subject to varying treatments,being pathologized or being viewed as a beneficial part of human neurodiversity. The understanding of autism has been shaped by cultural,scientific,and societal factors,and its perception and treatment change over time as scientific understanding of autism develops.
Lydia X. Z. Brown is an American autistic disability rights activist,writer,attorney,and public speaker who was honored by the White House in 2013. They are the chairperson of the American Bar Association Civil Rights &Social Justice Disability Rights Committee. They are also Policy Counsel for Privacy &Data at the Center for Democracy &Technology,and Director of Policy,Advocacy,&External Affairs at the Autistic Women &Nonbinary Network. In 2022,they unsuccessfully ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 7A,losing to state delegate Kathy Szeliga and delegate-elect Ryan Nawrocki.
Morénike Giwa Onaiwu is an American educator,author,and autism and HIV advocate. Alongside E. Ashkenazy and Lydia Brown,Onaiwu is an editor of All the Weight of Our Dreams, an anthology of art and writing entirely by autistic people of color published by the Autism Women's Network in June 2017.
Autistic masking,also referred to as camouflaging or,more broadly,neurodivergent masking,is the conscious or subconscious suppression of autistic behaviors and compensation of difficulties in social interaction by autistic people with the goal of being perceived as neurotypical. Masking is a learned coping strategy that can be successful from the perspective of autistic people,but can also lead to adverse mental health outcomes.
Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurodevelopmental disorders and learning disabilities. NCW 2025 is taking place from Monday 17 March - Sunday 23 March. It aims to transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported by providing schools,universities,and organisations with the opportunity to recognise the many talents and advantages of being neurodivergent,while creating more inclusive and equitable cultures that celebrate differences and empower every individual.
ChloéSarah Hayden is an Australian actress,author,podcast host,social-media personality,and an activist in the disability rights movement. After gaining early attention on social media,she was cast to play Quinn "Quinni" Gallagher-Jones an autistic lesbian in the Netflix comedy drama series Heartbreak High,for which she won an AACTA Award and was nominated for a Logie Award.
Judy Singer is an Australian sociologist,known for helping to popularise the term neurodiversity.
M. Remi Yergeau is an American academic in the fields of rhetoric and writing studies,digital studies,queer rhetoric,disability studies,and theories of mind. As of 2024,Yergeau is an Arthur F. Thurnau associate professor of Digital Studies and English at the University of Michigan.
Neuroqueer theory is a framework that intersects the fields of neurodiversity and queer theory. It examines the ways society constructs and defines normalcy,particularly concerning gender,sexual orientation,and dis/ability,and challenges those constructions. It critiques the pathologization of neurodivergent individuals and the ways in which this intersects with the marginalization of queer individuals. It is reliant on a deep understanding of Intersectionality,the way in which people's social,cultural,and political identities combine and result in unique combinations of privilege and discrimination.
Kassiane A. Asasumasu is an American autism rights activist who is credited for coining several terms related to the Neurodiversity Movement,including caregiver benevolence. As stated in the text Neurodiversity for Dummies,"Asasumasu's work set the stage for a broader understanding and acceptance of neurological differences",which "continue[s] to be shared,shaped and formed by all sorts of people who recogniz[e] that our world should be accepting,inclusive,and accommodating of people regardless of their neurotype".
Robert Chapman is an English philosopher,teacher and writer,best known for their work on neurodiversity studies and the philosophy of disability.
References
- 1 2 3 Walker, Nicholas (2019). Transformative Somatic Practices and Autistic Potentials: An Autoethnographic Exploration (PhD thesis). CIIS.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Nick Walker, Ph.D." California Institute of Integral Studies . Archived from the original on 2024-02-17. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ↑ "Neuroqueer". Neuroqueer. Archived from the original on 2024-03-20. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Walker, Nick (2021). Neuroqueer heresies: notes on the neurodiversity paradigm, autistic empowerment, and postnormal possibilities. Fort Worth, TX: Autonomous Press. ISBN 978-1-945955-26-6.
- ↑ Alli, Antero. "Underground Visionary Cinema of Antero Alli". Vertical Pool. Archived from the original on 2024-03-22. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ↑ Chapman, Robert (2019). "Neurodiversity Theory and Its Discontents: Autism, Schizophrenia, and the Social Model of Disability". In Tekin, Şerife; Bluhm, Robyn (eds.). The Bloomsbury Companion to Philosophy of Psychiatry. Bloomsbury Academic. doi:10.5040/9781350024090. ISBN 978-1-350-02408-3. Archived from the original on 2024-02-18. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
- ↑ Kattari, Shanna Katz; Gross, E. B.; Sherwood, Kari L.; Hostetter, C. Riley (2023-07-10). "Infinity and Rainbows: Supporting the Sexuality of Neurodivergent People". In Kattari, Shanna Katz (ed.). Exploring Sexuality and Disability: A Guide for Human Service Professionals. London: Routledge. pp. 65–80. doi:10.4324/9781003308331-7. ISBN 978-1-003-30833-1. Archived from the original on 2024-02-20. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- 1 2 Chapman, Robert (2023). Empire of Normality: Neurodiversity and Capitalism. London: Pluto Press. ISBN 978-0-7453-4866-7.
- ↑ Glenn, Daniel (2022-07-04). "Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities: Walker, N. Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities . Fort Worth, TX: Autonomous Press, 2021". World Futures. 78 (5): 339–341. doi:10.1080/02604027.2022.2094194. ISSN 0260-4027. Archived from the original on 2024-02-17. Retrieved 2024-02-17.