Co-parenting my autistic grandson, I went to social media looking for autistic adults to help me understand Ben. I’d much rather learn from actually autistic people than the “experts”. I’ve made some fantastic autistic friends along the way!!
I’ve also looked for other parents but unfortunately I seem to find more of the “poor me” parents than the “yeah, it’s tough, really tough sometimes, but here’s how we can help each other” type.
Great topic!! Thank you so much for encouraging your fellow NDs to help us NTs help our little ones and our adult friends too.
Really great and insightful video. This particular topic I can relate to a lot because I’ll admit being one of the “complainers” even though I am active in getting into groups and taking it from there, but it might not look that way on my Twitter sometimes. Thanks for opening me to these collaborative groups to seek out. Being heard is my #1 priority.
Great video. I agree that it’s so important for non-autistic parents, medical professionals etc to learn from autistic people. I’m involved in a FB group that is exactly for that purpose and it’s working really well. These sort of groups seem to be growing really fast and I think it’s making a huge difference.
However, I don’t think it’s possible for all autistic people to do this kind of thing. Our FB group is not an autistic safe space, I don’t think any of these sort of groups are. You get people joining who don’t know why functioning labels are a problem and think ABA is great and all that kind of thing. It can be hard work sometimes, although it’s very rewarding when you can help someone to see things from an autistic perspective. I wouldn’t want someone to put their mental health on the line if joining one of these sort of groups will trigger them or use up too many spoons.
For those autistic people that are able to, I would definitely recommend seeking out Allies groups, but I don’t want people to feel like they’re not helping out if they can’t do it. Autistic people are a team, we got your back if you need all your spoons for looking after yourself.
Lyric Rivera, an Autistic self-advocate from Texas, runs the the internationally recognized neurodiversity lifestyle blog Neurodivergent Rebel.
Neurodivergent Rebel was opened in 2016, as a way to introduce people unfamiliar with autism to neurodiversity. The blog, which is sometimes released in written format and also via YouTube video, explores the ideology of neurodiversity and the creative expressions of autistic people. Riveras’ blog pushes for acceptance of neurological differences and respect for the autonomy of neurodivergent people.
Lyric is also known as the pioneer of the #AskingAutistics hashtag, which is often accompanied by a short question about everyday autistic experiences. This simple hashtag connects neurodiverse people who would not otherwise have a reason to engage with each other to foster understanding of the autistic experience.
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Absolutely agree. I’m neurotypical (I think) curious and want to learn! Thanks for encouraging people to share….
Co-parenting my autistic grandson, I went to social media looking for autistic adults to help me understand Ben. I’d much rather learn from actually autistic people than the “experts”. I’ve made some fantastic autistic friends along the way!!
I’ve also looked for other parents but unfortunately I seem to find more of the “poor me” parents than the “yeah, it’s tough, really tough sometimes, but here’s how we can help each other” type.
Great topic!! Thank you so much for encouraging your fellow NDs to help us NTs help our little ones and our adult friends too.
Really great and insightful video. This particular topic I can relate to a lot because I’ll admit being one of the “complainers” even though I am active in getting into groups and taking it from there, but it might not look that way on my Twitter sometimes. Thanks for opening me to these collaborative groups to seek out. Being heard is my #1 priority.
I could be a yeller as a parent…but I heard if you really want kids to listen, speak quietly. It’s a power move. And we are all still kids inside.
Great video. I agree that it’s so important for non-autistic parents, medical professionals etc to learn from autistic people. I’m involved in a FB group that is exactly for that purpose and it’s working really well. These sort of groups seem to be growing really fast and I think it’s making a huge difference.
However, I don’t think it’s possible for all autistic people to do this kind of thing. Our FB group is not an autistic safe space, I don’t think any of these sort of groups are. You get people joining who don’t know why functioning labels are a problem and think ABA is great and all that kind of thing. It can be hard work sometimes, although it’s very rewarding when you can help someone to see things from an autistic perspective. I wouldn’t want someone to put their mental health on the line if joining one of these sort of groups will trigger them or use up too many spoons.
For those autistic people that are able to, I would definitely recommend seeking out Allies groups, but I don’t want people to feel like they’re not helping out if they can’t do it. Autistic people are a team, we got your back if you need all your spoons for looking after yourself.