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    indigo Offline OP
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    April is National Autism Awareness Month.

    Some books which may help with the mission of raising awareness of Autism include:

    Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew

    Mikey

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    Actually, both of those books, especially the first one, are full of inappropriate stereotypes (such as visual learners, sensory dysfunction, literal thinking). These ideas may be especially inappropriate to understanding the 2E autistic, who may or many not have any of the traits listed. This is not an idle concern: we have found that people's reliance on these stereotypes makes it hard to get our child's needs met.

    I would instead recommend The Oasis Guide to Asperger Syndrome and Parenting Your Asperger Child. They're much more nuanced.


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    indigo Offline OP
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    As always, thank you for sharing your perspective DeeDee. One person's list of ten characteristics that help illuminate—not define—children with autism may be another person's "stereotypes".

    The titles you recommend are both related to Asperger's specifically, which may be a subset of Autism.

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    A supportive way to learn about autism during Autism Acceptance Month is this website: http://www.autismacceptancemonth.com/


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    indigo Offline OP
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    Autism Awareness has been around for decades and Autism Acceptance was created in 2011, some may say as a counter movement.

    The website of Dr. Temple Grandin may also be of interest.

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    Autism Acceptance Month takes Autism Awareness further, by saying that awareness is not enough. It is an Autistic-led movement (founded on the principle that having different neurology is okay, and that people should be accommodated rather than excluded).

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    indigo Offline OP
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    Would you like to share more information, about needs which are commonly not met, and accommodations which are commonly not provided? Or ways in which "Autism Awareness" makes it hard or difficult to get your child's needs met?

    Upthread you mentioned sensory dysfunction as an inappropriate stereotype, meanwhile the Autism Awareness website which you shared mentions sensory-free rooms, and stims/stimming, which some may see as the same or virtually indistinguishable from sensory dysfunction. Can you illuminate the differences?

    I will also ask your opinion of this website: National Autism Resources

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    National Autism Resources is selling stuff-- it's really up to each individual and family to decide whether that stuff is useful to meet particular needs.

    I will note that the information on the language development page you linked to on that site is less than half true for my 2E autistic child (never echolalic, no problem with abstraction, interested in shared experience). Autistic people who are gifted in language may show radically different behaviors and capacities from those who are not, but even without the gifted/non-gifted distinction, there is a lot of variation among autistic people.

    The difference between the Autism Acceptance approach and the "Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes..." is one of perspective. The "Ten Things" book strongly suggests that "all autistic people have these traits." (They do not, in practice.) The folks at the Autism Acceptance site attempt to make sure that many voices and perspectives are heard, including those of autistic people themselves; they acknowledge that autism is manifest in many ways, that not everyone has all the traits on any given list, but that non-autistics should try to meet each individual where they are.

    (My opinion on the over-attribution of sensory issues as part of autism would require another thread.)


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    indigo Offline OP
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    Originally Posted by DeeDee
    The difference between the Autism Acceptance approach and the "Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes..." is one of perspective. The "Ten Things" book strongly suggests that "all autistic people have these traits."
    Although the title is provocative and attention-getting (as blanket statements, superlatives, and words such as "Every", "Always", and "Never" tend to be), I did not see a suggestion that "all autistic people have these traits".

    Quote
    The folks at the Autism Acceptance site attempt to make sure that many voices and perspectives are heard, including those of autistic people themselves
    In doing so they include reference to sensory-free rooms, and stims/stimming, which some may see as the same or virtually indistinguishable from sensory dysfunction which you earlier dismissed as an inappropriate stereotype, and have not illuminated the differences or distinctions you perceive.

    Quote
    I will note that the information on the language development page you linked to on that site is less than half true for my 2E autistic child (never echolalic, no problem with abstraction, interested in shared experience).
    The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria may be of interest. There is a spectrum, your child may be on the spectrum but there is no expectation that a child on the spectrum would match every characteristic. Lists of characteristics generally provide a broad umbrella, or a wide net... they are meant to be inclusive. Similarly, lists of gifted characteristics do not imply or infer that a gifted child will exhibit ALL characteristics, or will exhibit characteristics to a particular degree.

    Quote
    ...there is a lot of variation among autistic people.
    Agreed! The diagnostic criteria may be a good resource for raising awareness of this.

    Possibly it's up to each individual and family to decide which autism resources are useful to meet particular needs, without discrediting any particular resource or author.

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    FYI, I sent you a PM, DeeDee.

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