Actually Autistic Educator

Due to a medical issue reoccurring I am starting my summer hiatus early.  If you have requests for topics for next season please send me a message through Facebook or Twitter with things you would like to know more about autism, or if you’re autistic if there’s something you would like others to better understand about you.  Be kind to yourself and I’ll see you all again in the fall.

In this mini-episode Jeanne (she/her) talks about rejection sensitive dysphoria and how the way we view and treat autistic behaviors in childhood can have lifelong impacts on their sense of self-worth and relationships to others. Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rmPdj8A7jvLOCy1URQPm1-XXsPLJMzsvrWKQfbj6ExQ/edit?usp=sharing

In this mini episode Jeanne (she/her) talks about several of the various autism-related events and activities taking place in April, including the currently-running Intersectional Infinity Summit 2022 hosted by the Neurodivergent Infinity Network of Educators and some of its activities, and an explanation of why so many autistics push back against "Light it up Blue" and non-autistic-led autism awareness programming, favoring autistic-led autism acceptance instead. We learn about some other options like #RedInstead, #LightItUpGold, and even the satire event #ToneItDownTaupe, along with an alternative to the puzzle piece, the rainbow infinity symbol. Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DayKPBgE4Xj-5MoYQsw4RDha-HcFURWfHi9wJt5dKys/edit?usp=sharing Intersectional Infinity Summit 2022, https://sites.google.com/ddsb.ca/intersectional-infinity-summit Neurodivergent Infinity Network of Educators YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ2xhiJAqd6QCEy7qS-RAJQ/featured Intersectional Infinity- Why Autistic Acceptance is Essential, https://youtu.be/ulRBjANuM5I

In this shorter episode Jeanne (she/her) talks about a common comorbidity to autism - joint issues, including EDS, looking at new research showing the overlap in these communities and talking about what that should mean for how we talk about autistic healthcare. She also discusses barriers to accessing effective care, including looking at research regarding training for healthcare professionals in autism and how inaccessibility can impact autistic diagnoses and care. She connects this to the current conflict in Ukraine and how inaccessibility is impacting autistics and those with mobility issues in Kyiv, along with a call for all of us to examine what ways we could improve accessibility in our spaces. Finally, author Chuck Tingle is added to our list of famous autistics folks should know about. Full transcript at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J2cAyGHmcAcg5c6dxydgov5Uqb9ZZu3hIdZMk6mH2aY/edit?usp=sharing

No episode this month, I'm getting a root canal for an infected tooth and everything feels gross and painful. Be back next month! If you are autistic and have tips or tricks for dental work to share with us let me know!

In this episode Jeanne (she/her) shares quotes from autistics about things they wish others understood about being autistic and family holidays, along with suggestions for both autistics and others on ways to reduce stress and issues, from changes to routine, new social environments, different food, and more. Transcript available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pLENFSz_qqCQqZJx_ClIM2RPx5L1meXt8gt4y6CGTCw/edit?usp=sharing

In this episode Jeanne (she/her) introduces several common ways of viewing disability and differences: the medical, social, neurodiversity, and deficit models, and highlights the pros and cons of each. The neurodiversity lens holds that neurological differences are a natural part of biodiversity and should not be thought of as inherently inferior to what is considered typical. A common misunderstanding is that neurodiversity means not considering any difference as bad, when in actuality it merely means the difference must be examined in light of the person’s goals and needs - what might be a useful difference in one person may be felt as a frustration for another. Neurodiversity is a way of viewing differences without automatic judgement. Transcript, provided by InterACTT: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tHCDcuPWyfWOcjxglCaIC8eZkkAHQYndSIxQHFsMzeI/edit?usp=sharing

In this episode Jeanne (she/her) looks at an autistic perspective of eating struggles both through research and personal experience, how this connects to high rates of autistics diagnosed with eating disorders, and gives some suggestions for ways to improve autistic eating experiences, including a favorite recipe. She is joined by past guests Gigi (she/her) talking about how texture impacts their relationships with food, and Katie (they/their) discusses their experiences both with food and a diagnosis of anorexia. Content warning in this episode for discussions of disordered eating, calories and food intake goals, and brief mention of misgendering in academic research.  Disclaimer: I am a teacher, I am not a doctor, nutritionist, or psychologist - this contains some general ideas I have found in my own research and experience but please check with professionals if you are struggling with these issues, and nothing in this episode should be considered medical advice. Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18QiWIM_EBwX3c4Ex25AK8kQ7pEqPJtw20Qj-55dl_2Q/edit?usp=sharing

In this mini-episode Jeanne (she/her) highlights two upcoming conferences featuring autistic speakers as experts in autism, PARC Critical Autism Studies - Autumn Conference 2021, October 18 and Understanding Autism through the Actually Autistic Lens, October 19 - 21, and highlights the importance of gaining broader perspectives rather than learning only from the people most similar to yourself. Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TNMGetQoEydrOZrmqzUVVVxFtsbB4G-azlQKfagf5oA/edit?usp=sharing

A classic diagnostic trait for autism is “deficits in social communication.” However, as past episodes have highlighted, many new studies are showing that this is more a case of autistics and non-autistics struggling to communicate with each other, with both sides failing to interpret differences. By viewing autistic communication through the lens of this double-empathy problem rather than as an autistic deficit, and through examining new research and reports from autistics highlighting ways in which autistics communicate effectively with each other, non-autistic teachers, therapists, and caregivers can help meet autistics halfway and create more supportive and effective relationships. Jeanne (she/her) speaks with fellow autistics Katie (they/them) and previous guest Amanda (she/her) about their experiences with this disconnect between autistic and non-autistic perspectives. Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13Pf7x6e4bUUAc6fHjNWakTyVnw_YijOAQjYr9K7dFks/edit?usp=sharing