Health and wellbeing
how late diagnosis can hurt mental health and self image
For many women, adult diagnoses of autism are “a light in the darkness”, an epiphany of self-understanding. My “lightbulb moment” came in my late 20s. “They thought you were autistic,” my mum mused when I told her I was embarking on an academic career in autism research.
Read more “Like many women, I didn’t know I was autistic until adulthood –”
Autism perspectives
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.
Read more “ABC’s new comedy Austin grapples with autism stereotypes –”
Neurodiversity
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.
Read more “Event planning for inclusion of neurodiverse students”
Autism perspectives
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.
Read more “Neurodiversity and Participatory Research in Autism”