Aucademy Explaining Autistic experience

Celebrating neurodivergent experiences: Workshop feedback

On Wednesday 10 January 2024, EKC Broadstairs College hosted an interactive workshop on neurodiversity that brought students from across East Kent Colleges Group together virtually for the first time. The event pioneered the use of cutting-edge digital technology in the Group’s new immersive classrooms to connect multiple College campuses.

The organisation of this groundbreaking session was a collaborative effort between the Colleges, spearheaded by EKC Broadstairs College. The workshop was delivered by guest speaker Dr Chloe Farahar, PhD, a member of Aucademy, a group of Autistic academics and educators.

The event saw Health and Social Care, Early Years, Psychology and Access students from across the Group’s College campuses in Ashford, Broadstairs, Canterbury, Dover and Folkestone brought together virtually to delve into the world of neurodiversity and autism.

The new immersive classrooms have been designed to facilitate cross-College collaborative learning and give students the ultimate learning experience with VR headsets, digital displays, and interactive tools. They can be used to create a dynamic and engaging learning environment using virtual and augmented reality technologies that allow students to explore virtual simulations that help to consolidate their knowledge and understanding of course topics.

Students participated in the workshop through a real-time video platform which allowed guest speaker Dr Chloe Farahar, a specialist tutor on the National Autism Training Programme for NHS staff, to simultaneously engage with the classes at each campus.

The workshop focussed on developing an understanding and acceptance of neurodiversity and creating environments to accommodate neurodivergent individuals. Students learned about different kinds of neurodivergence and took part in a mindful stimming activity during which they considered the different types of self-stimulatory behaviour, such as repetitive movements or sounds, that neurodivergent individuals may use as self-soothing techniques. 

Aucademy Autistic Resources, Explaining Autistic experience, Uncategorized

Autistic theories of Autistic experience

Find here explainer videos about the three Autistic-derived theories of Autistic experience: Monotropism theory (Dinah Murray), Double empathy problem (Damian Milton), and Autistic language hypothesis (Rachel Cullen):

Monotropism explainer video by Kieran Rose (The Autistic Advocate):

Double-empathy explainer video by Kieran Rose (The Autistic Advocate):

Reviewed by young people, double empathy explained:

Screenshot of the webpage from Frontiers for Young Minds: “Double Empathy: Why Autistic People Are Often Misunderstood”

Aucademy discussion on the double empathy problem from theory (Damian Milton), to evidence it occurs, to evidence of why it occurs (Rachel Cullen):

Aucademy discussion on the Autistic language hypothesis with Aucademy’s Rachel Cullen, educating Chloe and Annette:

Aucademy discussion explaining the monotropism theory with Fergus Murray & Tanya Adkin educating Aucademy’s Chloe and Ben:

Aucademy Autistic Resources, Explaining Autistic experience, Identity-first language - A resource, Uncategorized

Resources supporting preference, but importantly wellbeing properties, of identity-first language: we are Autistic

The use of identity-first language to describe our Autistic selves, or be described by non-autistic people, is not up for debate with non-autistic people. But time and again it is demanded that we Autistic people – not “people with autism spectrum disorder” – provide “evidence” for the use of identity-first over person-first language.

Even more frustratingly – angering even – is that professionals do not expect the same level of “evidence” for the use of person-first language when interacting with Autistic people.

And so, find some resources here to demonstrate both preference for identity-first language, but more importantly the psychologically protective properties of being an Autistic person, not a “person with autism [spectrum disorder]”.

FURTHER NOTES:

Some people around young Autistic people will say they asked their young person about their preference – to be referred to as an Autistic person, or a “person with autism [spectrum disorder]”, stating that they went with their young person’s preference for person-first language – or even that the young person didn’t care about it.

The above scenario is not an acceptable reason to ignore the politics of a young persons’ life. Absolutely language should not be forced on the minority in question – but that does not preclude you from learning about the importance – the psychological and political importance – of identity-first versus person-first language regarding yourself, your young person, the people in your care, in your class, in your employment.

And there is growing evidence that humanising us via identity-first language and the surrounding, far greater Autistic community and cultural narrative, actually improves psychological wellbeing of Autistic people – a population where the greatest cause of death is suicide. And so, any help our community can get to reduce early deaths and a life of prejudice and discrimination should be deeply and critically considered.

That you were taught that person-first language is what you should use is no longer an acceptable response when told otherwise. As Dr Nick Walker says: “Sentences that start “person-first language is what I was taught to use” should end with “but now I know better & will never use it again”.

Be the change you want to see, importantly, be the change we desperately need. Thank you.

UPDATE: Oct 2023 – An extensive guide to humanising language has been produced by the Community Against Prejudice Towards Autistic People, and Aucademy welcomes its use, feel free to share.

captap-full-language-guide-documentDownload

These psychologically protective properties are somewhat demonstrated in Chris Bonnello of Autistic not Weird‘s latest survey with 11,212 respondents (7,491 of whom were Autistic, including non-speaking Autistic people), which demonstrated that those who identified as Autistic were more likely to like being Autistic, compared to those who considered themselves to be “people with autism”:

Chris Bonnello of Autistic not Weird‘s latest 2022 survey with 11,212 respondents (7,491 of whom were Autistic, including non-speaking Autistic people). These two tables show those who use identity-first language were more likely to like being Autistic than those who use person-first language.

Resources

ARTICLES/BLOGS:

SCREENSHOTS OF POLLS/SURVEYS:

Chris Bonnello of Autistic not Weird‘s latest 2022 survey with 11,212 respondents (7,491 of whom were Autistic, including non-speaking Autistic people). A marked increase from the 2018 survey (screenshot below) where 51.62% of Autistic people preferred identity-first language, compared with 76.16% of AUtistic people in 2022.

Screenshot of Autistic not Weird large survey 2018, showing 51.62% of Autistic respondents preferred Autistic person
As much as Aucademy detests autism $peaks, their poll with 16,151 votes backfired on them, as 69% voted for “I am Autistic” over “I have autism”

VIDEO SOURCES

YouTube video: Chloe Farahar: A rose by any other name would smell…of stigma (or, the psychologically important difference between being a “person with autism” or an Autistic person)
YouTube video: The importance of Autistic language – what’s in a name?
YouTube video on the important difference between the abstract “autism” and tangible Autistic experience.
YouTube video: Chloe Farahar: Why we should be fighting *prejudice* toward Autistic people, not “autism stigma”

SHAREABLE INFOGRAPHICS

navy background, lower right has the gold Aucademy logo, white writing over the top reads: "Identity-first language humanises Autistic people & acknowledges the importance of our Autistic experience of the world. We are defined, but not confined, by our Autistic-ness (Dr Melanie Heyworth, Reframing Autism). Sentences that start “person-first language* is what I was taught to use” should end with “but now I know better & will never use it again” (Dr Nick Walker, Neuroqueer) Identity-first language is more than identity politics, it has psychologically protective properties for Autistic people... "Where before we were isolated by our belonging to the group “people with autism”, we come to embrace the Autistic identity, culture, community, & space – we are no longer alone, we are connected – connected by one word: Autistic." (Dr Chloe Farahar, Aucademy) *person with autism Learn more: "A rose by any other name would smell…of stigma (or, the psychologically important difference between being a “person with autism” or an Autistic person)": https://bit.ly/3CuinUx " ALT TEXT END.
navy background, lower right has the gold Aucademy logo, gold writing over the top reads: “Understanding Autistic people outside of our objectification as “people with autism” may help to humanise our suffering and better focus research and clinical interest on our wellbeing issues, moving away from focussing on autism in the abstract.” - Dr Chloe Farahar Farahar, C. (upcoming, 2022). Autistic identity, culture, community, and space for wellbeing. In &. D. S. Ryan (Ed.), Routledge Handbook of Critical Autism Studies. Routledge. ALT TEXT ENDS
navy background, lower right has the gold Aucademy logo, gold writing over the top reads: Autistic people are human, & so we should be fighting *prejudice* toward Autistic people - tackling the *perpetrators* of prejudice - not the "stigma" toward the abstract concept of "autism spectrum disorder". Our focus must be Autistic people and the system and structural disadvantages this [my/our] group are faced with – we must be focussing our efforts on the perpetrators and processes, not emphasising a target of “autism”. Why we should be fighting *prejudice* toward Autistic people, not "autism stigma": Chloe educates Aucademy https://youtu.be/hQrUckturTU ALT TEXT ENDS
navy background, lower right has the gold Aucademy logo, gold writing over the top reads: "Society needs to recognise Autistic experience from a cultural minority perspective, supporting our minority in similar ways to other cultural minorities; recognising differences in language and communication, and the systemic factors that lead to disadvantage. Society needs to foster and embrace our cultural minority and the strengths we bring." Dr Chloe Farahar - Aucademy Why we should be fighting *prejudice* toward Autistic people, not "autism stigma": Chloe educates Aucademy https://youtu.be/hQrUckturTU ALT TEXT ENDS
navy background, lower right has the gold Aucademy logo, gold writing over the top reads: Stigma [red cross next to the word]: • About illness, disease, disorder etc. • Stigma is toward individual characteristics – the problem is rooted in the individual, not the system Prejudice [green tick next to the word]: • About race, religion, culture etc. • Prejudice is toward group characteristics – the problem is rooted in the system e.g. structural disadvantage, not the individual Why we should be fighting *prejudice* toward Autistic people, not "autism stigma": Chloe educates Aucademy https://youtu.be/hQrUckturTU ALT TEXT ENDS
navy background, lower right has the gold Aucademy logo, gold writing over the top reads: Helping you move from the "stigma of autism” narrative, to tackling prejudice toward Autistic people. CALLS TO ACTION: Empower Autistic people: too long there has been a precedent of non-autistic people and researchers doing the research and the talking. Focus on Autistic people as a culture that experiences prejudice, do not focus on the stigmatisation of the abstract concept of “autism” (scrap the word “autism”, ASD, ASC etc. from your vocabulary, you’re usually looking for the phrase "Autistic experience"). Look into the prejudice literature instead of focussing on the stigma literature. ALT TEXT ENDS
“neurology is not an accessory” by identityfirstautistic.org
Aucademy Autistic Resources, Explaining Autistic experience

Autistic gender & sexual divergence resources

Find here a growing list of resources for neurodivergent people and the intersection with gender and/or sexuality diversity.
NOTE: Aucademy does not necessarily endorse all of these resources, so please be critical and cautious, particularly when engaging with groups online.

Books

Blogs

JOURNAL ARTICLES

LGBTQIA+ AUTISTIC GROUPS:

VIDEOS:

Training and other resources