Diagnoses like autism, ADHD and dyslexia, to name a few, are examples of neurodiversity. The battle may be harder, but hope is not yet lost. By Carly Fulgham The last civil rights battle just got harder. You may think I mean the fight for equal pay for women, or equal protection under the law for no…

By Patrick Jasper Lee This film is a dedication to some of the great artists, writers, and composers and their contribution to to our understanding of life. Many of these artists if they were living today would have been given labels of autism, bipolar or schizophrenia. “Tomorrow We Won’…

By Debra Muzikar Last year The Art of Autism posted a blog on Person First Language (PFL) which proved to be educational for me and I hope for others. This year I’m tackling the word neurodiversity, which is much more complex. I didn’t know some people object to the word until I moderated a neurodiv…

I think we’ve developed a ‘patchwork’ sort of world in relation to Autism. By Jeanette Purkis I’ve been a diagnosed Autistic person for more than half my life. Here are some observations of where we were, where we are now and where we might be headed in terms of respect and Neurodiversity and other…

“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind,” Virginia Woolf By Patrick Jasper Lee Autism and fiction aren’t commonly mentioned in the same sentence. It took me some time to realize that there seems these days to be f…

Long overdue Autism Speaks removes the word “cure” and puts the needs of autistic individuals and their families first in their new mission statement By Debra Muzikar At a Board meeting in late September the biggest autism nonprofit in the world, Autism Speaks, revamped its mission state…

October 10 is World Mental Health Day. Although there may be a genetic or biological predisposition to acquire the “schizophrenic trait” of expanded experience, it is really only allowed full expression in the willingness to learn about the unconventional. This willingness alone might be enough to a…

Update 10/8/2016 I’m collecting favorite quotes about autism from some of my favorite people. Please share your own in the comments and if I like it, I may add it to the list. 1. “If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism,” Dr. Stephen Shor…

“I believe everyone on the planet has their thing and, especially in my experience, autistic people all have a tremendous gift. It’s a matter of finding that gift and nurturing it,” Edie Brannigan By Debra Muzikar October is Disability History Month. Last month a young autistic man made history at …

Update 9/30/2016 I’m collecting favorite quotes about autism from some of my favorite people. Please share your own in the comments and if I like it, I may add it to the list. 1. “If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism,” Dr. Stephen Shor…

“It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a child with autism to raise the consciousness of the village,” Coach Elaine Hall By Debra Muzikar Today September 28 is Good Neighbor’s Day. This year in California we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Lanterman Act. The und…

Being a global citizen isn’t just about appreciation of different cultures but different neurologies as well. by MaryAnne, MamaSmiles As the daughter of a diplomat, I was raised in five countries on three continents. Parenting a child with autism sometimes reminds me of the culture shock I wo…

“You have 30 seconds to wow me,” Temple Grandin By Debra Muzikar Many people on the autism spectrum have great talent. They may be superb artists or talented musicians, yet they and (often their parents) lack the business knowledge to create an income stream which is in alignment with th…

I think understanding that we’re ALL different and weird in different ways is really important. By Sonya Hallett Everyone’s different, in all kinds of weird and interesting ways. In recent years, I’ve been coming to better understand some of my own weirdnesses and how they impact on how I see the …