iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 14h

"I understand being consumed with fear & skepticism after being told a medical procedure might have hurt your child. It’s why I’m going to tell you my story of becoming—but then un-becoming—a passionate anti-vaxxer autism parent." At TPGA. thinkingautismguide.com/2024/12/why-... #autism #parenting

thinkingautismguide.com

Let's Talk About Why My Autistic Son Is Fully Vaccinated — THINKING PERSON'S GUIDE TO AUTISM

If you have concerns about vaccines and autism, please listen to my story of becoming—but then un-becoming—an anti-vaxxer autism parent.

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Miss Luna Rose @misslunarose.bsky.social · 18h

I wrote a blog post about pictures depicting autism a while back! I was tired of the pictures of sad/upset white kids and I suggested that people branch out with demographics and even try (gasp) showing happy people. misslunarose.home.blog/2024/03/03/a...

misslunarose.home.blog

Autism in a Picture: An Autistic Artist’s Tips for Positive Choices

How do you represent autism in a way that encourages empathy and inclusion instead of isolation? Here are my tips for choosing the right picture.

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CommunicationFIRST @communicationfirst.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Community drives every movement and every moment. We share information, resources, and our experiences. In the spirit of sharing, we’re raising $20k to celebrate our 7th birthday and keep fighting together for #CommunicationRights. Please #donate by 10/9! lnk.to/C1hbd7 [Video: #AliceWong, late…

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AAPD - The American Association of People with Disabilities @aapd.com · 19h

The US House of Reps is working to protect community integration. Newly introduced H.Res. 1586 reaffirms that we have a right to exist in our communities.

We have GOOD NEWS about community integration! A bipartisan resolution protecting community living was introduced in the House.

H.Res.1586, introduced by Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Brian Fitzpatrick
(R-PA), affirms that the Olmstead decision reflects Congress' intent for people with disabilities to live and receive services in their communities.

H.Res. 1586 says plainly: in 1977 and 1978, federal regulations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act provided that services for people with disabilities must be delivered in the most integrated setting appropriate.

This resolution confirms that the integration mandate is the law as written and enacted by Congress.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 22h

A challenge for those who decide on graphics to accompany autism articles—maybe AVOID: 1) A bald silhouetted human head in profile 2) A stylized human brain 3) Puzzle pieces 4) Any combination of the above Thank you. (So tiresome.)

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 28/09/2026

Research shows "autistic people with high IQs still struggle with things like executive functioning and daily living skills. That means I can do lots of policy work, but I can’t follow the directions to give myself a COVID test." @juststimming.bsky.social: juststimming.wordpress.com/2022/05/19/t...

juststimming.wordpress.com

These things are not luxuries

Historically, Washington, DC has only provided home and community-based services (HCBS) to people with developmental disabilities who also have an intellectual disability. This year, DC is joining …

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 28/09/2026

We will not be publishing our newsletter this week, but you can always catch up on our entire archive of @ejwillingham.bsky.social's witty, sharp explanations and analyses of autism headlines and research in the meantime. You can even subscribe and share (no paywall)!! buttondown.com/TPGA/archive/

buttondown.com

Thinking Person's Guide to Autism Newsletter

Weekly email with autism news and resources: from autistic people, professionals, and parents, written and curated by scientist and journalist Dr. Emily Willingham. Emily, a 2022 MIT Knight Science Pr...

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 28/09/2026

The best investment you can make in your autistic child’s future is a commitment to intense scrutinization of support options—especially at this moment in which hateful autism misinformation is having the hateful comeback. We have more advice at TPGA: thinkingautismguide.com/2025/07/iden... #autism

thinkingautismguide.com

How Parents Can Identify and Avoid Harmful Autism Treatments — THINKING PERSON'S GUIDE TO AUTISM

When it comes to autism treatments, parents new to autism need to work past their fear & confusion, & embrace their critical reasoning skills.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 20/09/2026

You can't be understood if the burden of translation is only on one person. Janet learned that sometimes working on projects together could be a communication bridge. @janetkl.bsky.social Janet Lawson, at the Stanford Neurodiversity Summit. #SNS2026

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 20/09/2026

Often, when autistic children are sent to “cool-down corners,” schools fail to see and report it as seclusion. The distinction that’s lost: a space students can retreat to of their own volition when overwhelmed—and leave when calmer—is different from seclusion. www.denverpost.com/2026/09/15/a...

denverpost.com

How parents in Boulder rewrote the rules on autism therapy in school

The Boulder Valley School District implemented what is likely the nation’s first — and only — neurodiversity policy.

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Joelle Maslak @jmaslak.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The modern neurodiversity movement is *directly* linked to the pre-existing self-advocate movement that was created and led by people with intellectual disabilities.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 19/09/2026

What a treat to meet Color of Autism’s Camille Proctor and @supernovaparenting.org’s Natasha Nelson in person at the Stanford neurodiversity Summit. Camille’s safety toolkit work is incredible; we will be talking about that more soon. And Natasha’s Stanford keynote is Monday, can’t wait.

Camille Proctor and Natasha Nelson, two Black women with long thin locs, standing in front of Proctor’s poster on community safety.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 19/09/2026

More in yep, autism is inherited: Little Shop of Horrors and Martin actress Tisha Campbell—who has been open for many years about being the parent of an autistic child—has been diagnosed autistic herself: www.usatoday.com/story/entert... #autism #neurodiversity

usatoday.com

Tisha Campbell reveals autism diagnosis: 'I know myself so much better'

The actress said she spent most of her life hiding her own behaviors and now she has a better sense of self-understanding.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 26/09/2026

Another consideration, when (any) autistic child or adult is in distress: Did you interrupt them? Because new research indicates that interrupting is "profoundly challenging, often leading to a collapse of [autistic] focus and an exhausting state of vigilance." journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

journals.sagepub.com

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 19/09/2026

In which RFK Jr. replaces autism pseudoscience proponent Dr. Sylvia Fogel with even more hardcore autism pseudoscience booster and leucovorin grifter, Dr. John Gaitanis, as the head of the IACC Federal committee advising on autism research priorities. kfgo.com/2026/09/18/e... #autism #IACC

kfgo.com

Exclusive-Kennedy names new chair for US autism advisory panel

By Ahmed Aboulenein WASHINGTON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. named an ally, Dr. John Gaitanis, to lead a key federal advisory panel on autism on Friday, replacing a ch...

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🦋 Phenomenally Autistic 🦋| Ayanna Sanaa Davis @ayannasanaa.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

In case you missed it 🫶🏽

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 25/09/2026

"A Mental Health Crisis Card is a tool for communication when words fail. It provides critical information about the person’s disability and mental health conditions and actionable steps to help de-escalate stressful situations." From @thearcus.bsky.social: thearc.org/resource/men... #disability

thearc.org

Mental Health and IDD Crisis Card - The Arc

Learn how a Mental Health Crisis Card can help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities communicate their needs, triggers, calming strategies, and support preferences during a mental he...

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 19/09/2026

Beware Meta smart glasses: “Certain companies have used accessibility & disability rights as a Trojan horse for a tool that poses significant privacy & security threats—& the privacy concerns affect disabled people too.” Mother Jones's @juliametraux.bsky.social: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

motherjones.com

Is Meta using disabled people to promote its glasses?

AI glasses are a double-edged sword for disabled people, who face unique risks from surveillance.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 25/09/2026

New IACC chair John Gaitanis is ALSO on the board of curebie autism org MAPS, a "quackery-on-steroids joint where terms like 'homeopathy' & 'functional medicine' are used with a straight face (& a hand in your wallet)." @ejwillingham.bsky.social in TPGA's newsletter: buttondown.com/TPGA/archive...

buttondown.com

Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee: From Bad to Worse

The current administration continues to be an ongoing disaster-in-the-making for autistic people.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 18/09/2026

Autistry Studios is “a groundbreaking therapeutic makerspace for teens and adults. This documentary follows students as they bring their personal journeys to life.” Support the new @janetkl.bsky.social Autistry Studios documentary if you can! youtu.be/0CQIF90yfIA?...

youtu.be

Episode 1: Autistics with Power Tools

YouTube video by Colors of the Spectrum

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Joelle Maslak @jmaslak.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

ADHD is a significant disability and people with it benefit greatly from treatment (not always medication, but, yes, including medication). ADHD is not laziness, is not moral failure, and is not “minor”.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 25/09/2026

“The bridge of the nose is the window into the soul” -Eli Rosa @faethinking.bsky.social (This is a post about autistic eye contact.)

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 18/09/2026

Autism acceptance isn't about pretending everything is fine if it isn't. It means understanding why autistic people do things, not blaming them (or your autistic self) when it's hard, or when you have competing needs. Ideally, it also means cherishing joy harder. (So much harder.) #neurodiversity

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 17/09/2026

Non-autistic parents and professionals are lobbying for the term "profound autism." But autistic people themselves think the label is dangerous & will lead to autistic people with more needs getting less help. In @autisticadvocacy.org's #ProfoundAutism toolkit: autisticadvocacy.org/the-profound...

autisticadvocacy.org

The “Profound Autism” Label Hurts Autistic People

Functioning labels don’t help autistic people get what we need. They hurt us. Recently, some people have started using a new functioning label called profound autism.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 17/09/2026

“On the one hand, any influence by partners must be an issue of concern, but on the other hand, categorical dismissal risks silencing individuals who may have thoughts to communicate but lack reliable means of expression.” Prizant, on supported communication: autismspectrumnews.org/a-30-year-jo...

autismspectrumnews.org

A 30-Year Journey From Skepticism to Acceptance: Reconsidering the Authenticity of Assisted Communication of Nonspeakers

Autism expert Barry Prizant explores assisted communication, challenging assumptions about nonspeakers and the path to authentic expression.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 24/09/2026

For autistic kids and adults, finding solutions for sensory sensitivities can be a struggle. One example: Noise-cancelling headphones are miraculous for some, but for others cause over-the-ear tactile/ear insertion sensory overload. Some of our community members are still searching for solutions.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 17/09/2026

"This is not romanticization of being autistic. It is a clear understanding of the influence of environment on what constitutes a strength versus a weakness in any of us.” From @ejwillingham.bsky.social in the latest TPGA newsletter. Share & subscribe if you can! buttondown.com/TPGA/archive... 2/2

buttondown.com

Thought Catalog’s post on Ed Norton and autism is thoughtless and ahistoric

In which the work of Steve Silberman is also treated with a shallow insouciance.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 17/09/2026

"Steve Silberman was acutely aware that environment often defines disability, and what is treated as a downside in some contexts—such as being hyperfocused and disregarding of others’ opinions—can be a strength in very specific environments, such as climate advocacy." #autism #neurodiversity 1/2

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 17/09/2026

New research & toolkit: Professionals often miss or misunderstand autistic motor difficulties, so people do not always get the help they need. Part of the [problem] is that the types of tests we use can be uncomfortable or confusing for autistic people. journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1... #autism

journals.sagepub.com

Valid when Valued: A Community-Engaged Framework and Toolkit to Improve Identification of Autistic People’s Motor Difficulties in Research and Practice - Haylie L. Miller, Priscila M. Tamplain, Miri T...

Many autistic people experience clinically significant motor differences that pose lifelong physical health risks including physical inactivity, cardiometabolic...

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 16/09/2026

Awful: “ABA service providers are allowed to keep children in lucrative standalone treatment centers where they are barred by Medicaid law from receiving academic instruction—often for years after they should begin attending school.” TY @bethhawkins.bsky.social: www.the74million.org/article/priv...

the74million.org

Private Equity Is Cashing in on Autism Therapy. Children Are Paying the Price

Analysis of Medicaid data finds applied behavior analysis — an unproven, even dangerous therapy — turns huge profits for providers at kids' expense

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 16/09/2026

“Openness re: a child's autistic identity—particularly in parent–child conversations—may support self-understanding, self-esteem & positive framing.” New research you can use: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

journals.sagepub.com

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 15/09/2026

Ed Norton's recent autism comments are more nuanced than that Thought Catalog article claimed, plus its Steve Silberman citations were shallow and ahistorical. @ejwillingham.bsky.social Willingham explains the disservice of lazy journalism, in this week's newsletter. buttondown.com/TPGA/archive...

buttondown.com

Thought Catalog’s post on Ed Norton and autism is thoughtless and ahistoric

In which the work of Steve Silberman is also treated with a shallow insouciance.

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El Pensador Sereno @elpensadorsereno.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

"Gaitanis está en la junta "médica" para MAPS (Academia Médica Pediátrica de Necesidades Especiales), anteriormente conocida como DAN! (¡Derrotar el Autismo Ahora!). una organización obsesionada con borrar a las personas autistas."

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The Daily Tism @thedailytism.com · 23/09/2026

The question, which was reportedly intended to be rhetorical, was answered in harrowing detail by Sabeen Bhatt, 46, who began by describing every possible calamity in her immediate surroundings, before moving on to the world at large.

thedailytism.com

Bystanders traumatised after autistic woman asked “what’s the worst that can happen?”

Bystanders have reportedly been left “traumatised” after overhearing an autistic woman answering the question “what’s the worst that can happen?” The question, which was reportedly intended to be…

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Joelle Maslak @jmaslak.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Mask are effective. Even part-time mask use has some use -- your chance of catching COVID is in part related to length of exposure, it's not "if even one virus particle is inhaled, the person is sick." It's "your chance of getting sick goes up with more intense and longer exposures."

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Julia Métraux @juliametraux.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Someone asked me my thoughts on Boston Globe lesbian bar drama: My thoughts are that if you only temporarily struggled with isolation in 2020/2021, we should have more empathy for COVID-cautious people who have limited IRL community due to health concerns.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 24/09/2026

Access to Special Ed should not depend on effective parent advocacy: "When schools rely on parents to push for services using sophisticated advocacy skills, that widens inequities for children whose caregivers lack time, resources or English proficiency." www.the74million.org/article/why-...

the74million.org

Why Access to Special Education Depends Too Much on Parents

Richards: The biggest predictor of whether children receive special education services shouldn't be how effectively their parents can advocate.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 16/09/2026

CN: Suicide "Autistic people face enough suicidal ideation without being asked to think of themselves as nothing more than burdens to their loved ones, & I can’t support or contribute to any conversation that increases that risk." @fodderfigure.bsky.social: thinkingautismguide.com/2025/03/auti...

thinkingautismguide.com

Pushing Back on The Autism Tragedy Narrative While Autistic

Autistic people face enough suicidal ideation outside the tragedy narrative, and I can’t support any conversation that increases that risk.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 23/09/2026

Hey Californians: If your child has a disability and you are trying to get them the right support at school, the system can feel overwhelming. Hope4Families has clear answers to the questions CA parents ask most, along with the specific laws behind each one. www.hope4familiesca.org #parenting

hope4familiesca.org

California Special Education Attorney | IEP Lawyer | Hope4Families

Hope4Families offers free special education legal services in California. California special education attorneys helping families with IEP disputes, 504 Plans, evaluations, and due process hearings. F...

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Joelle Maslak @jmaslak.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Direct link to the poster: raw.githubusercontent.com/jmaslak/conf...

raw.githubusercontent.com

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El Pensador Sereno @elpensadorsereno.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Excelente poster, y el mensaje al final muy necesario.

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Steven Kapp @drstevenkapp.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

NHS-funded 2025 ADHD Taskforce: “ADHD is under-recognised, under-diagnosed and under-treated". www.bmj.com/content/391/... DSM-5 narrowed autism's criteria (link.springer.com/article/10.1...; link.springer.com/article/10.1...); diagnoses stable/declining in males pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

bmj.com

ADHD: England’s GPs need bigger role in managing condition to deal with surge in patients, says taskforce

GPs need better training to recognise attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in patients and should be incentivised to take on aspects of care for the condition, a major review recommends.1 ...

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 23/09/2026

Autistic people often have competing access needs, like needing quiet when another person needs to be loud—but if they are in an “autism program,” it is possible no one has consider that autistics can have very different accommodation needs from each other. thinkingautismguide.com/2022/01/auti...

thinkingautismguide.com

Autism Checklist of DOOM

Our autism checklist of doom is meant to help people the kinds of things that may upset an autistic person, ones that aren't always obvious.

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 23/09/2026

One of my favorite posters at this weekend's Stanford Neurodiversity Summit #SNS26 was @jmaslak.bsky.social's Not Your Victim: Confronting Ableism and Transphobia Through a Feminist Analysis of Selected Published Adult Trans+Autistic Narratives of Transition: docs.google.com/document/u/0... -SR

docs.google.com

References: Not Your Victim

Not Your Victim Confronting Ableism and Transphobia Through a Feminist Analysis of Selected Published Adult Trans+Autistic Narratives of Transition Joelle Tori Maslak, B.A. (she/her) Metropolitan Sta...

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Steven Kapp @drstevenkapp.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The UK is likely to try to reduce ADHD & autism diagnoses this week even though its own National Health Service funded a report saying ADHD is underdiagnosed & undertreated. Autism's criteria are already narrowed. See my anchor post & gifted article previewing UK report: inews.co.uk/news/claims-...

inews.co.uk

ADHD is not being overdiagnosed, major Government report set to find

Landmark report expected to rule out mass overdiagnosis but warn support can be hard to obtain

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