Identity-First Language

Since it is a common question that comes up during my presentations, I wanted to put together a list of resources about identity-first language and using euphemisms to talk about disability. Start Here Autistic People Speak About Person-First Language – BuzzFeed News On Identity-First Language To everyone who tells me not to say “autistic person”

Neurodiversity in Our Libraries – School Librarians United Podcast

Interviewed on: School Librarians United podcastEpisode Date: May 7th, 2021Show Notes: http://bit.ly/SLUNDLib Description: Adriana L. White guides us in understanding neurodiversity and how our library spaces, collections and teaching can embrace all our neurodiverse students.

We Need (Neuro)Diverse Books: Building Empathy for Children’s Mental Health and Neurodiversity

Presented at: The Region 20 Learning & Libraries Virtual ConferencePresentation Date: November 5th & 6th, 2020Presentation Slides: https://bit.ly/NDB1120 According to the CDC, 1 in 6 children have been diagnosed with a mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder (such as autism). Most of us already serve these children in our libraries! How can we update our collections

Social-Emotional Learning and the Power of Stories

To Be Presented at: The TCEA Convention & ExpositionPresentation Date: January 31st, 2021Presentation Slides: https://bit.ly/SEL0221Register for the conference. Social-emotional learning, or SEL, involves teaching our students incredibly important life skills, such as managing emotions, developing empathy, and fostering relationships. As librarians, we can help our students improve their SEL skills through the power of stories.

Celebrating Neurodiversity: Insights from an Autistic Educator and Self-Advocate

Presented at: The Inclusion Works! Virtual ConferencePresentation Date: October 26th, 2020Presentation Slides: bit.ly/ND1020 Our understanding of autism has changed greatly over the past few decades. Once thought to be a rare disorder that primarily affected non-speaking boys, we now know that autism encompasses a wide spectrum of diverse individuals. Today, autistic people are writing books,

Tongue-Tied

Hi, everyone! I’ve added a new tag called “Tongue-Tied.” These posts are excerpts from a Young Adult novel that I’m currently working on. It’s the story of two very different young women who both happen to be autistic, and what happens when they unexpectedly enter each other’s lives. I’ve thrown a bit of science fiction

A Site Refresh, and More Info on Autistic Authors

The site has a new look, with a new theme that will hopefully be more accessibility-friendly. It’s still a work-in-progress, so forgive any missing alt-text, wonky headers, etc. I’m still learning the ins and outs of accessible web design! I’ve also added more links to resources about autistic books and authors, and I’ve updated my

Autism, Neurodiversity, and More: Insights from an Autistic Educator

Presented at: The South San Antonio ISD Special Programs SymposiumPresentation Date: October 26th, 2019Presentation Slides: bit.ly/AWAutism Description of My Symposium Session: Our understanding of autism has changed greatly over the past few decades. Once thought to be a rare disorder that primarily affected nonverbal boys, autism today encompasses a wide spectrum of individuals. Autistic brains

#GirlsCanBeAutisticToo – Week 1

As one great autism event (#TaketheMaskOff) ends, another important one begins: #GirlsCanBeAutisticToo. Week 1 focused on Barriers to Diagnosis, and there are so many for girls and women! Societal expectations of girls are different, and autistic girls are better at masking and blending in socially. Our special interests are generally more accepted, and our sensory

#TaketheMaskOff – Week 7

The Finale 3-10 Sep – #TaketheMaskOff How people have been affected by the weeks. Over the past 7 weeks of the #TaketheMaskOff event, I have learned a lot about myself. Reading about the experiences of other people, all across the #autism spectrum, has been amazing and confirming. The ActuallyAutistic community makes me feel less alone.

#TakeTheMaskOff – Week 6

Week 6 27-2 Sep – Coping Strategies. What can help you not to Mask. Using it purposefully? As someone who was diagnosed with autism fairly recently (a professional told me I was autistic in October ’17; I took the diagnostic tests to be officially diagnosed in March ’18), I’ve been thinking about this topic a

#TakeTheMaskOff – Week 5

Week 5 20-26 Aug – Diagnosis/self-awareness. How does that impact Masking? Most undiagnosed autistic people have no idea what masking means. Only after a diagnosis do they recognize that masking is what they have been doing all their life, intentionally or not. We feel so much pressure to fit in with others around us, even to

Autistic Burnout

Source: Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network

#TakeTheMaskOff – Week 4

Week 4 13-19 Aug – What is burnout? How is it connected to Masking? Burnout is what happens to an autistic person after too much energy has been expended by masking. Over a long period of time, masking can lead to disastrous results. Having to mask all day, every day, is exhausting, and can be

Choosing a College When You’re Neurodiverse | Psychology Today

One thing about college–the learning experience is what you make of it. You can learn just as much in a virtual reality lab at a local school as you can in a VR lab at MIT. The MIT degree will mean a lot more when you go looking for work, but it won’t mean anything