Knoxville Autistic Advocates - KAA

10/03/2026

09/09/2026

"Somehow, it does not feel like a coincidence that a lot of the panic about the autism diagnosis being overly broad or too many people being diagnosed came just as more women received a diagnosis." So true, Eric Michael Garcia. Link below.

[image: Screenshot of an Eric Michael Garcia Bluesky post.

Text reads, "Somehow, it does not feel like a coincidence that a lot of the panic about the autism diagnosis being overly broad or too many people being diagnosed came just as more women received a diagnosis." above a truncated yahoo.com URL.

Underneath is a photo of a white woman with shot light brown hair and a shoulder tattoo, lying back on crumpled white sheets with her hands over her face as though exhausted by bullsh**.]

08/30/2026

CN: Suidicality

"Autistic girls without co-occurring intellectual disabilities tend to be diagnosed significantly later than their male counterparts, often not until adolescence or later. As a result, they miss out on early interventions that can help neurodivergent children navigate challenging environments." By Corinne Purtill, in the Los Angeles Times:

tinyurl.com/SuicidalityInAutisticGirls



[image: Canva graphic with a black background.

Text reads, "Content note: Su***de.

"A childhood diagnosis doesn’t guarantee that an autistic person
will never grapple with depression,
self-doubt or suicidal thoughts.

“But there is some evidence that
the earlier a girl understands herself,
the sooner she can design a life that works with her strengths and needs."

Smaller text in the lower left corner reads, "by Corinne Purtill, in the L.A. Times
tinyurl.com/SuicidalityInAutisticGirls"

The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.]

08/20/2026

ALL of it.

08/20/2026

Well hell. Just realized we never did one of these. Represent like it's 2020, y'all! But please know: Deadly serious. And also: what else would you add? -SR

[image: Graphic with a black background.

Text in alternating rainbow colors reads,

"IN THE TPGA COMMUNITY, WE BELIEVE"

"AUTISM ACCEPTANCE SAVES LIVES

"VACCINES WORK, AND HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH AUTISM

"COMMUNICATION IS A HUMAN RIGHT

"ADHD IS REALLY REAL

"LGBTQ+ PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS EXISTED

"ACCESSIBLITY SHOULD BE BAKED IN

"AUTISM “CURES” ARE ALWAYS A SCAM

"RACISM HAS NO PLACE HERE

"THE “PROFOUND AUTISM” LABEL HURTS MORE THAN IT HELPS

"NO ONE IS A COST OR A BURDEN"

In the lower left corner, smaller text reads, "
www.ThinkingAutism.com"

The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.]

08/20/2026

Autistic meltdowns…the absolute exhaustion afterwards, the shame felt afterwards, the feeling like you’re broken…all of these things need to be talked about more, sure, but mostly they need to be better understood by non-autistic people. I wish the onus was not put on the autistic person to try and explain their neurology and behavior to someone when they’re already overwhelmed and burnt out.

I hate to be like, “Google is free”, but there really isn’t any excuse for people to not read up on how autism works. Of course you can’t make someone understand if they are entirely unwilling and are committed to ignoring reality, but for people who say they do want to learn…do it!

neurodivergent_insights has great, easy-to-read infographics that explain things like meltdowns vs shutdowns, Autism vs OCD, etc.

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network has plain-language resources that make it very easy to read and understand many aspects of autism and life as an autistic person.

Those are just 2 examples, but the reality is that there is a plethora of learning resources right at our fingertips.

The best rule of thumb for choosing a resource on autism is: if it is written and/or reviewed by people on the autism spectrum, odds are it’s fairly accurate to the lived experience. If it is a peer-reviewed scientific article or resource, then that’s also a good option.

Signed,
Someone who is tired of having meltdowns and then having to explain why they happen…every. single. time.

08/12/2026

The Trump administration released another executive order targeting the autistic community and spreading vaccine misinformation. While the government spends time on fake science that has been disproven, autistic people are waiting for the support we actually need. Full statement: https://autisticadvocacy.org/2026/08/asan-opposes-executive-order-targeting-vaccines/

08/10/2026

It’s insensitive to say.