Innovation Autism

03/14/2023

To all of our diligent supporters -

The Innovation Autism board has voted yesterday to end our 2-year mission and commitment.

As of March 13, 2023, Innovation Autism has dissolved as a non-profit organization.

That doesn't mean we as individuals will stop advocating and serving our autistic community.

It only means we will have far less non-profit organization paperwork to fill out.

Thank you again to everyone for your support, and please reach out to our advocates if you have any questions.

It was an honor to serve - Dr. Fox.

03/10/2023

Carey here. This is why we don't give up on people.

From the article: "Arday was born and raised in Clapham, South London. Therapists and career advisers predicted he would spend his adult life in assisted living and require lifelong support. Instead, through personal determination and the support of family and close friends, he went to college, trained as a teacher, and then launched his academic career.

It is a commitment rooted in experience. Arday has faced many personal challenges – notably being diagnosed, at the age of three, with a form of Autism Spectrum Disorder which meant he was unable to speak until he was 11, or to read or write until he was 18. Other parts of his story, however, epitomise the significant barriers that neurodivergent individuals, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people face when trying to build careers in the sector."

The renowned sociologist, Jason Arday, is to become a professor at the University of Cambridge.

03/09/2023

03/07/2023

Carey here. We mourn the passing of Judy Heumann, a dynamic disability rights activist. "Disability only becomes a tragedy for me when society fails to provide the things we need to lead our lives––job opportunities or barrier-free buildings, for example. It is not a tragedy to me that I'm living in a wheelchair."

Heumann led the San Francisco sit-in at the Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1977 for the long-delayed passage of Section 504 for the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which was the first federal civil rights protections for disabled people. She was devoted to advocating for those society seemingly had forgotten. Her work has improved the lives and opportunities for disabled people for decades.

03/01/2023

Carey here. Thank you The Adult Autism Group for inviting me to speak at your planning meeting last night. This is wonderful asset for our community! I hope to be able to attend more meetings in the coming months.

Leadership by people on the autism spectrum; Self-advocacy focus. Strengths-based, rather than deficit-based, approach.

02/27/2023

Carey here. I know some people disregard YouTubers because of the platform, but some YouTubers are incredibly intelligent, insightful, and able to translate the autistic experience into something easily digestible. Taylor from Mom on the Spectrum is one of these wonderful people.

Do you know how much support is available locally to those diagnosed autistic late in life? The answer is not much--not nearly enough.

Late autism diagnoses are becoming more widely shared and many loved ones are left with questions. This video was made in response to a community member who ...

02/25/2023

One in five doctors say they will be leaving the profession soon. Political anthropologist and physician Dr. Eric Reinhart explains the fatal flaws of our healthcare system that has led to this.

How is this autism related? The fatal flaws in our healthcare system are also what leads to autistic people having a life expectancy decades lower than average. The social determinants of health are massive, and not in our control.

America's doctors are leaving the profession in growing numbers, creating a crisis in the U.S. healthcare system. Some 117,000 physicians left the field in 2...

02/24/2023

As a Gen Xer, I was *thrilled* to visit the new Growing Up X exhibit at the Illinois State Museum. I was also thrilled to see the new sensory kits they offer. My child (also autistic) was excited to see all the fidget toys. We always bring headphones with us to public places, but this also was so thoughtful. Kudos to the Illinois State Museum for being awesome! We love to see it!

02/23/2023

Carey here. What this article calls "camouflaging" is what is known in the autistic world as "masking." It's a way of hiding autistic traits so we may appear as neurotypical as we can to "blend in." While it can be helpful in many situations, as an adult I find it exhausting.

This article (based on a study) concludes, "Higher camouflaging scores were associated with more pronounced internalizing symptoms i.e., higher levels of depression, anxiety or similar symptoms. This association was independent of age, gender or intelligence of the person."

A study of autistic children and adolescents in Australia showed that those suffering from anxiety, depression or similar symptoms (apart from autism) showed a more pronounced tendency to try to mask their autistic traits in social situations. Adolescents were also more likely to camouflage their au...

02/22/2023

Carey here. Many autistic people have passionate feelings about others speaking on their behalf, including this one.

An excerpt: "Autistics have every right to take issue when we are misrepresented. We have every right to highlight our oppression and to voice our concerns. We do not have to show gratitude to those who oppress us through misplaced intentions and ignorance. We do not have to sit down, shut up and be quiet while the world has a conversation about us [in April] without including us in that conversation. Ignorance is never an excuse for oppression."

Whether you agree or not with the opinions expressed here, autistic voices should be heard.

Autism awareness campaigns are clever marketing tools. Such campaigns seek to make people aware of the terrible thing that is autism...

02/21/2023

This talk by an autistic adult who is researching autism is one of the best I've heard. I feel/hope a paradigm shift is in the works regarding a new understanding of our neurological differences. Also, as the presenter notes, very little of the money spent on autism research goes to studying how to make life easier and better for autistic people which could drastically improve the quality of our lives.

Being diagnosed with autism is often seen as a tragedy. But for Jac den Houting, it was the best thing that's ever happened to them. As an autistic person, c...