Neurodiversity – Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre

Making waves in autism awareness: A review of The…

Cover image: ‘Chess’, an enigmatic dog spirit from The Stimming Room (2024).
Spoiler alert: the following article discusses plot points for The Stimming Pool.

At the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) in August, I had the opportunity to attend a screening of The Stimming Pool, a groundbreaking documentary-fiction hybrid film from the UK co-created with Autistic artists. I attended a sensory-friendly session, which was a first for me as a frequent cinema-goer.

ABC’s new comedy Austin grapples with autism stereotypes –

with mixed success

ABC’s new comedy series Austin follows its 28-year-old namesake (played by autistic actor Michael Theo, from the reality dating series Love on the Spectrum), an autistic man connecting for the first time with his biological father, Julian (Ben Miller).

Julian is married with his own family in London, while Austin lives in Canberra. When they connect, Austin must navigate his complex role as an extramarital child, while Julian’s family must adapt to having a young autistic man in their lives – all while Julian, a prominent author, battles a public relations scandal.

Austin is a unique show in its depiction of autism and neurodiversity. Its first season differs drastically between its first and second halves: challenging both Austin’s family, and the audience, to confront, and then reconsider their assumptions about autistic people.

Neuroaffirming care values the strengths and differences of autistic…

Full title: Neuroaffirming care values the strengths and differences of autistic people, those with ADHD or other profiles. Here’s how

We’ve come a long way in terms of understanding that everyone thinks, interacts and experiences the world differently. In the past, autistic people, people with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and other profiles were categorised by what they struggled with or couldn’t do.

The concept of neurodiversity, developed by autistic activists in the 1990s, is an emerging area. It promotes the idea that different brains (“neurotypes”) are part of the natural variation of being human – just like “biodiversity” – and they are vital for our survival.

This idea is now being applied to research and to care. At the heart of the National Autism Strategy, currently in development, is neurodiversity-affirming (neuroaffirming) care and practice. But what does this look like?

What are ‘masking’ and ‘camouflaging’ in the context of…

Many autistic people and ADHD-ers report using “masking” and “camouflaging” in their lives. This is where people conceal certain traits and replace them with neurotypical ones to avoid being recognised as neurominorities.

Event planning for inclusion of neurodiverse students

Neurodiversity Toolkit for Higher Education

These factsheets are suitable for university and other higher education staff planning events with an inclusive focus. Each of the factsheets contains tips and guidance for ensuring that higher education activities accommodate neurodiverse students. They were developed by the Neurodiversity Project Officer at La Trobe University, Elizabeth Radulski, in November 2020. Download now.

Masking, Camouflaging & Compensating in Autism

Camouflaging, masking, blending in, compensating, impression management; we all do this to an extent. Imagine you’re invited to a work dinner with your colleagues. You get ready, thinking about what’s appropriate to wear, what to bring, and some topics to bring up (and avoid) if there are lulls in conversation. In Autism, the stakes are higher, and the task is more difficult. When social skills do not come intuitively, getting through this event requires cognitive effort, concentration and learning, a bit like doing complex algebra on the fly.

Neurodiversity and Participatory Research in Autism

The idea of neurodiversity is not new but has been gaining more attention recently. The essence of the term ‘neurodiversity’ is that “there is no single way for a brain to be normal,” as explained in a recently-published editorial by Simon Baron-Cohen, head of the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge (see here & here). Looking at autism from a neurodiversity perspective can help promote inclusion and reduce stigma. It means broadening our understanding to see how social systems can change to be more autism friendly, rather than focusing narrowly on the individual. Supermarket ‘quiet hours’ are a nice example of an environmental change that can have a positive impact for people on the Autism spectrum.