iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

The Neurodivergent Music Network now has its own domain name: www.neurodivergentmusicnetwork.com The deadline to submit a paper for our inaugural conference is April 13th! #MusicSky #AcademicSky #AutRes

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Narrowing down the definition of autism creates division. It makes it easier to dismiss the voices that challenge the status quo. If an advocate is "too articulate" or "too humorous," they are told they aren't really autistic—silencing the very people who are breaking these stereotypes. 4/

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So it threatens neuronormative beliefs of what it means to be a "normal" and "functional" human being—and that scares the heck out of people! Especially those who have built their entire careers around defining who is the "right" kind of human, and who isn't... 3/

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Why does the flourishing of Autistic culture—our advocates, artists, and researchers—feel like such a threat? Because it challenges the core of neuronormativity. It proves that being autistic isn't just a list of deficits or "superpowers". It is a valid way of being human. 2/

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I keep thinking about the increasing push to narrow the criteria for autism diagnosis. There is a profound social impact to this: the fragmentation of Autistic communities. While this doesn't seem like the most problematic of consequences, it actually can have profound repercussions. 1/

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These claims provide a convenient narrative to gatekeep support under current SEN reforms in the UK, denying help to those who appear to be "functioning", no matter how much they struggle internally and what consequences this will have on their mental health and future. 4/

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Unsurprisingly, it's the voices of autistic girls and women that are the primary targets of Frith's comments, who question the legitimacy of our experiences and even diagnosis, dismissing our struggles entirely. 3/

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And arguing that those who can articulate their thoughts mustn't be autistic is a decades-old strategy to silence autistic voices and exclude us from research made about us. In fact, it is the same strategy that has been and is being used against many other minorities to deny them any agency. 2/

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Uta Frith's claims that autistic masking doesn't exist because of a lack of research ignores a significant body of peer-reviewed research directly linking long-term masking to burnout, depression, and suicidality. It silences the voices of autistic people who have been sharing their experiences. 1/

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A most excellent response to Uta Frith's statements!

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Canary SEND @canarysend.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

New conference poster 🙂 Submit your abstracts for the Neurodivergent Music Studies Conference here: theneurodivergentmusicnetwork.weebly.com/2026-virtual... #AutRes #MusicResearch #CallForPapers #AcademicSky #Neurodivergent #Music

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Reposted by Nina Danon

Uta Frith said masking isn’t real, late diagnoses were probably wrong, and non-speaking autistic people who write may be lying. She admitted she had no proof. None of it was challenged. I wrote the response she didn’t get: www.canarysend.co.uk/canarysendbl...

canarysend.co.uk

“Masking Is a Myth, Late Diagnoses Are Wrong, and Non-Speaking Autistic People May Be Lying” - What Uta Frith Got Wrong — canary SEND

Professor Uta Frith said masking isn't real, late diagnoses were mistakes, and non-speaking autistic people may be lying. She had no evidence. Here's the response she didn't get.

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Reposted by Nina Danon

Harriet Cannon @harrietcannon.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

@petewharmby.com isn't active on here these days, but he, along with others, has written a response to that Uta Frith TES article www.twinkl.co.uk/news/experts...

twinkl.co.uk

QE Insights - Twinkl

Stay up-to-date with changes and events in primary education using our handy news feed. Includes articles from trusted sources about the web.

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Nina Danon @ninadanon.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Well, that's a big disappointment.

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I think it's actually something that's been a major influence on my music, yet I've only just verbalised it 😅 I suppose it's a good way to celebrate Weird Pride Day! #WeirdPride #MusicalNeuroqueering

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It's the same if I try to visualise a place, or an object. My mental picture of it is not very precise visually, yet it feels very realistic as I experience it in a multi-sensory synaesthetic way.

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On the other hand, the multi-sensory experience I get from the person whose face I am trying to imagine is extremely vivid. The sensations. The smells, colours, emotions, tastes, sounds, gestures, general feelings that make up how I perceive that person.

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Nick Walker @dr-nicky.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

A conversation earlier today about graphic design made me wonder how I visualise things. If I try to conjure an image in my mind's eye, there is a picture. But it's often poorly defined. If it's a face, for instance, I don't see the details.

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Reposted by Nina Danon

It's my favorite holiday, WEIRD PRIDE DAY! I'll be spending the day being weird (same thing I do every day, Pinky). Here's a nice thread of Weird Pride events. Or, you can celebrate Weird Pride Day by catching up on the Weird Luck webcomic! #weird #weirdpride weirdluck.net/weird-luck-c...

weirdluck.net

Weird Luck Chapter List • Weird Luck

Weird Luck Chapter List Read More

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Reposted by Nina Danon

Fergus Murray @oolong.co.uk · 04/03/2026

Happy Weird Pride Day to all who celebrate! I'm really happy with how it's coming together so far. I hope we'll see a good few people posting bits of writing and videos and things today, too, besides the things I've directly organised myself (with help from many others)...

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Reposted by Nina Danon

Robert Chapman @drrobertchapman.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

I've published a new substack post on the ideological function of dismissing political opponents as 'mad' or 'insane'. open.substack.com/pub/neurodiv...

open.substack.com

Gramsci on Madness and Fascism

Hegemony and Sanist Slurs

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theneurodivergentmusicnetwork.weebly.com

We highly encourage submissions about Mad Music and less researched types of neurodivergence for the Neurodivergent Music Studies Conference! For more info and to submit an abstract, visit: theneurodivergentmusicnetwork.weebly.com/2026-virtual... #MadStudies #Research

2026 Virtual Summer Conference

Dear all, We are excited to invite you to the Neurodivergent Music Studies Conference on June 26th (synchronous) and July 1st 2026 (asynchronous). Our virtual event is held by the Neurodivergent...

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Reposted by Nina Danon

Autistic Realms (Helen Edgar) @autisticrealms.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

New study highlights the day-to-day importance of autistic flow Work by Daniella Wain and colleagues details a non-pathologising view of flow states in autistic individuals, and how they maintain wellbeing by By Emily Reynolds 03 March 2026 www.bps.org.uk/research-dig...

bps.org.uk

New study highlights the day-to-day importance of autistic flow | BPS

Work by Daniella Wain and colleagues details a non-pathologising view of flow states in autistic individuals, and how they maintain wellbeing

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Reposted by Nina Danon

Autistic Realms (Helen Edgar) @autisticrealms.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Happy @weirdpride.day 2026! 'Weird Pride is a celebration, but it is also, always, a protest: an act of resistance and solidarity, in a world where nonconformity is too often punished'. Even in hostile ground, wildflowers can find a way to bloom. Join our community events weirdpride.day/2026-context

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In fact, many ideas in Autistic and, more broadly, Neurodivergent music are emerging simultaneously through various practices and disciplines. And it is only through connection, messy experimentation, and knowledge exchange that this new field of Neurodivergent Music Studies can take shape. 4/

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In this context, co-creative research methods are particularly suited to study and expand Autistic music making. 3/

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I find it's the opposite. Much like "Autistic culture is rhizomatic", with "no single culture, no universal experience" (see @autisticrealms.bsky.social OG post), Autistic music evolves through horizontal interactions, simultaneously happening in multiple directions. 2/

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Thought provoking article by @autisticrealms.bsky.social ! Some aspects of it resonated deeply with my own research and creative practice. Because of all the harmful stereotypes around autistic people, there's a common belief that autistic musicians like to work in isolation. 1/

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