Jason's Connection

06/02/2026

Neurosupremacy and Hierarchies Within The Community by Sonny J Wise

Like most communities, the neurodivergent community is not immune to reproducing the same hierarchies that they seek to dismantle. As someone who is multiply neurodivergent, someone who diverges in many, many ways, this is something I both witness and experience frequently.

Like most communities, the neurodivergent community is not immune to reproducing the same hierarchies that they seek to dismantle. As someone who is multiply neurodivergent, someone who diverges in many, many ways, this is something I both witness and experience frequently.

06/01/2026

PBS fans—did you know that PBS offers audio-described content for many of its programs? Enjoy popular shows like NOVA, American Masters, Independent Lens, Masterpiece and more with audio description. With thousands of audio-described episodes available, people who are blind or have low vision can fully experience many of their favorite PBS shows.

You can access PBS programming for free on your TV or mobile device using the PBS App, or online at PBS.org.

Visit the PBS website to explore audio-described content: http://to.pbs.org/audio-description

06/01/2026

Thinking Persons Guide to Autism Shares: Once-respected autism researcher Uta Frith keeps wanting to "dismantle the autism spectrum," which is absurd—and also harms already-undersupported autistic people with less obvious autism traits. Anne Borden recently detailed just how wrong Frith is, at TPGA:

tinyurl.com/UtaFrithAutism



[image: Screenshot of a Thinking Person's Guide to Autism article title image.

The background is a photo of a shattered but still intact piece of glass. Its color is along a spectrum from dark green to purple.

A white text box contains black text reading, "Responding to Psychologist Uta Frith: Autism Can’t Be Quantified, and That’s OK�"]

Once-respected autism researcher Uta Frith keeps wanting to "dismantle the autism spectrum," which is absurd—and also harms already-undersupported autistic people with less obvious autism traits. Anne Borden recently detailed just how wrong Frith is, at TPGA:

tinyurl.com/UtaFrithAutism



[image: Screenshot of a Thinking Person's Guide to Autism article title image.

The background is a photo of a shattered but still intact piece of glass. Its color is along a spectrum from dark green to purple.

A white text box contains black text reading, "Responding to Psychologist Uta Frith: Autism Can’t Be Quantified, and That’s OK
"]

05/31/2026

Barry Prizant continues to ADVOCATE for COMMUNICATION CHOICE as a HUMAN RIGHT for Nonspeaking Individuals.
Opinion On Article on Profound Autism by Elizabeth Bonker "Thank you, Barry M Prizant, for speaking our truth against those who denigrate and defame us."

Barry Prizantin* NYTimes writes: Re: this article. Let me begin by saying credibility and credentials are important, as are facts. Amy Lutz is not a clinician, has no clinical credentials, and no research credentials. She is a parent with very cast-in-concrete biases reflected in her repeating the same arguments we have heard for years from naysayers who benefit financially and in so many ways by attempting to silence non-speakers. Read Gift Article https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.bonker/posts/26160153520328848?rdid=VCj6aiDXarkCG02J

*Barry M. Prizant, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Adjunct Professor
Department of Communicative Disorders
College of Health Sciences
University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI

Illustration of Nonspeaking Individuals

Study after study has called facilitated communication into question.

05/30/2026

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law Shares 📣GOOD NEWS: South Dakota has withdrawn from Texas v. Kennedy.
This lawsuit has the potential to seriously undermine the rights of disabled people to live and fully participate in the community.
What began as a 17-state lawsuit is now down to seven. Advocacy is making a difference. We need to keep speaking out until the remaining states follow suit!
We applaud South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley for hearing the disability community’s concerns. We are deeply grateful to our disability community partners for their tireless advocacy.



https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1B4QPoJUNv/?mibextid=wwXIfr
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05/29/2026

Miriam Mendoza shares a Memory

TBINetwork Shares this, Disabled by Society post: does not make me less deserving of : Love, A Career , Acceptance, Access, Rights, Education, Opportunity, Family, Support, Success, Independence, Respect.

05/29/2026

Disability Belongs shares: Supporting mental health in the workplace doesn't require a huge budget. It requires intention, flexibility, and commitment. And when you get it right, everyone benefits. Learn more about how employers can foster inclusion in our resource: https://www.disabilitybelongs.org/resources/mental-health-employers/

Supporting mental health in the workplace doesn't require a huge budget. It requires intention, flexibility, and commitment. And when you get it right, everyone benefits. Learn more about how employers can foster inclusion in our resource: https://www.disabilitybelongs.org/resources/mental-health-employers/

05/29/2026

Families caring for relatives face unthinkable choices as cuts loom

President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” state budget turmoil and new attacks on paid family caregiving have people fearing financial ruin as they fight to keep loved ones out of institutions.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-medicaid-cuts-threaten-caregivers-disabled-family-members-rcna344930?fbclid=IwY2xjawR29yZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETF6bzVxYXVhdldYd3hRTDhQc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHv-pUKVaLAmkCqLsE1qK6r6fGXzdC-wPIaq7LVjvDfeDhQhiCQn8pLY1p8kj_aem_2mBfz9Y7fJWUThaRahSLCA

Melissa Gonce cares full time for her 28-year-old son, Jason, through a Medicaid program facing major cuts. She expects to lose $18,000 a year.

President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” state budget turmoil and new attacks on paid family caregiving have people fearing financial ruin as they fight to keep loved ones out of institutions.

05/28/2026

Native kids with disabilities were held in wooden boxes. Sweeping reforms are coming Heard on All Things Considered by Brian Mann

Officials in the Salmon River Central School District in Fort Covington, New York, have acknowledged that wooden boxes were constructed and used to confine elementary school children, including Native children, with disabilities. The practice was ended in December 2025 after these images, confirmed as authentic by school officials, circulated on social media. In a new report, New York's state has ordered sweeping reforms at the public school. According to the report obtained by NPR, the state's investigation found at least five elementary-age students with disabilities were confined in a "wooden box for a timeout."

https://www.npr.org/2026/05/14/nx-s1-5821682/salmon-river-mohawk-children?utm_term=nprnews&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=npr&fbclid=IwY2xjawR1cnVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFoQmc0c1hqUGxIT1I5NHYyc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHglou5UaD0herfzgpsroWabslWaHNslU747c32eRb2MPLeHWXTMy_4fXiPKq_aem_3K0EcUF0TBQt3qP_isrOJg

Wooden boxes were constructed and used to confine elementary school children

State officials in New York say the Salmon River district's special education program confined young children with disabilities in wooden boxes. Parents weren't notified.

05/27/2026

HCBS is a Critical Safety Net for Mental Health of People with .

CQL | The Council on Quality and Mental health matters—for everyone. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we’re sharing resources to help build understanding, reduce stigma, and support people with disabilities in living full, balanced lives: https://loom.ly/0o_hHCA

https://www.c-q-l.org/resources/articles/hcbs-is-a-critical-safety-net-for-mental-health-of-people-with-idd/

Young woman smiling and wearing headphones

By Carli Friedman, CQL Director of Research, & Carine Luxama, CQL Mentorship Student and University of Massachusetts Boston PhD student People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are more likely to have mental and behavior health conditions and disabilities than people without dis...