Neurodivergent Dr
@autisticdoc
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#Autistic #ADHD Disabled Geriatrician she/her ⚪️ tweets are my own ideas and RT not endorsement.
Unceded Whadjuk Noongar Boodja
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Pinned Tweet
Me and my co-authors.
This is what
#disabled
and
#neurodivergent
doctors look like.
Read our work in the tweet below.
Proud to co-author this call to action with Dinesh Palipana OAM
And as a disabled doctor I’m thrilled my own specialty college
@TheRACP
journal
@The_IMJ
is opening the floor to this conversation!
#DisabilityInclusion
#HealthEquity
#Neurodivergent
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6 yo “when I have babies will they be autistic?”
Me “can’t say for sure. But I’m autistic. You’re autistic. So it’s likely”
6 yo “what will we do if they’re neurotypical?”
Me: “we’ll still love them”
6 yo: “yeah. Nanna’s neurotypical, we love her”
Diverse role models 💛
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The autistic flood of relief when you switch off the kitchen exhaust fan.
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Wearing these pins to work, it’s no surprise autistic patients quickly notice with their detail-oriented visual processing. I feel overjoyed whenever someone feels brave enough to share they are autistic/otherwise neurodivergent too!
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“It’ll never work to have an autistic doctor. Patients and their families expect better.”
Colleagues to to me at a public speaking event. I’d introduced myself as a disabled autistic doctor, speaking about neurodiversity.
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Psst!
Autistic people don’t want to socialise like neurotypicals.
We want autistic ways of being social accepted and embraced.
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@nd_scientist
Yeah great activity for shaming introverts, non-neurotypical socialisers, or any marginalized kid.
I’d be pissed too.
& I bet your kid’s awesome.
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Me explaining Xmas parties to the kiddos like a wise old autistic:
Me: When we get to the party, the grown-ups will probably want to say hi and ask some questions. But guess what? If you don’t know the exact answers, you can just tell them what they expect to hear!
Kiddos: ?
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If you’re autistic & feel left behind,
Seeing ppl your age & stage doing things you can’t (job, place to live, relationships, kids)
I feel for you muchly 💛♾️
You are NOT bad at life.
You have more barriers.
We often do things later, in a different way, with different help.
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The autistic frustration of getting a manuscript proof from a medical journal editor where they changed your writing to person first language. Without warning.
Now I have to painstakingly search & find all the “with autisms” to request they be changed back to “autistic”
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Me: …they often stop asking questions! But if you say something they DON’T expect, they feel confused. They may laugh, or ask even MORE questions to understand!
Kiddos: (invested now) do another one!
And off we scripted, all the way to the party 🤣
#Autistic
#DoubleEmpathy
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It just dawned on me - people always say I’m “so calm” in a crisis, and I could never work out why. It’s because when I’m highly stressed, I lose the ability to mask! I stop putting on facial expressions. I look neutral, but that is NOT how I feel!
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Interdependence 💛
I’m an autistic doctor who relies on assistance from others to clean my house, handle big finances, organise and purchase groceries and drive me anyplace that’s new or far away.
It’s because I’m disabled. Not lazy.
#ActuallyAutistic
#AuDHD
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Me: So if they ask “are you happy to be on school holidays?” what do you think they expect you to say?
Kiddos: yes!
Me: exactly!
Kiddos: but we aren’t happy EVERY SECOND…
Me: I get it, but it’s still the truth if you’re sometimes happy. Plus, if you say what they expect…
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The Autistic flood of empathy when you see your child overwhelmed by a sensory insult that no-one else notices.
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I’m autistic.
Don’t ask me “can you do this?”
If what you mean is “would it cause you any suffering to do this?”
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@Raghnaid_Anna
Right!? It would probably take a whole village of us just to support their eye contact needs.
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I can never tell which of my doctor colleagues is going to be the next to blindside me with casual ableism. A registrar I supervised today - a smart, hardworking doc - was asking for advice and comes out with “the patient’s son has Autism, so he’s totally useless” 💔
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@EmilieWigdor
It’s disappointing to see time and resources wasted on ableist research.
When you don’t include autistic researchers and autistic perspectives from the design phase onward, you’ll get it wrong every time.
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Thank you for the overwhelmingly lovely responses!
Sorry I haven’t had time to reply individually to all, but every single one means a lot.
I love how so many of you notice autistics can be great doctors, AND many great docs don’t know it but are autistic themselves!
💛♾️
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I also want to say - these kind of openly ableist comments are vastly outweighed by the positive ones. But it’s always a shock to hear them. And they shouldn’t exist at all.
It just shows how needed neurodiversity training, and disability inclusion training, is in Med Ed!
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“If we make adjustments for disabled doctors, it will be unfair to the others.”
Question-time comment to me, an openly neurodivergent disabled doctor, presenting neurodiversity education to high-ranking hospital staff, 2023
Medium: Unearned advantage and stereotyping.
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Update: they listened receptively & changed the language back to how it was 🎉
We now have one more person in journal editorial land who knows all about identity first language for autistic, neurodivergent, disabled people!
Maybe one day, all of academia will know…
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🧵After a spirit-crushing school year for my Autistic ADHDer, with a teacher who thinks disability is “bad behavior” & after explaining to teacher infinity times that asking for help is not laziness, I’m taking a stand on a comment in kid’s school report (email text follows)
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To add:
It felt violating to see our manuscript covered in “with autism”s
I support of individual choice for how ppl refer to their autism. But a medical journal shouldn’t be changing OUR choice as
#autistic
docs writing our perspective on
#neurodiversity
#ableist
#Academia
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Parentheses (like these) give me
#neurodivergent
joy.
They are pockets (but for ideas, instead of pens and phones).
💛♾️
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I need to state the page & line number for each “with autism” to be changed back to “autistic”. I have been given 24 hrs.
Tell me that’s not a massive barrier to a person who struggles with executive function.
It would be easier to count the sentences that DON’T need changing!
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@FoggyParent
Completely!
And “independence” is such a lie of a success value in our society.
So many “successful career” doctors l know, TOTALLY DEPENDENT on a spouse or partner for their basic daily needs, childcare, and running their household.
That’s. Not. Independent.
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The
#autistic
confusion when an NT says “you don’t have to stay for this”
1. I never thought I HAD to stay
2. Do you mean “please go now” ?
or…
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🧵
Want to know the secret to behavior in autism?
The evidence is clear.
There is only one rule to remember:
A, B, C
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Ever notice autistic stims creepily termed “restrictive repetitive behaviors” ?
…meanwhile, society trains in “mindfulness meditation”. To focus on sensing/feeling in the moment, because it’s good for health and wellbeing.
🧐
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Anyway. Perhaps I should prepare a bank of clever responses. Instead of my usual *silent reeling in shock and upset*.
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Or how many times have I endured comments like:
‘person x is so rude/selfish/horrible… I bet they’re “on the spectrum”’
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@TKL5555
I love:
Parallel play.
Infodumping (giving or receiving).
AND
Being accepted when I don’t use neurotypical eye contact and body language.
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Autism diagnostic assessment should be:
Affirming
Accurate
Available
Affordable
Instead, it’s mostly inaccessible.
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If (kid) was physically disabled instead of cognitively disabled, eg if he was a wheelchair user, we wouldn't write "(kid) has enjoyed using a wheelchair to get around school & access activities. He can be reliant on the wheelchair, and is encouraged to persevere with walking"
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Neurodiversity celebration week!
The
#neurodiversity
movement is part of the
#disability
rights movement.
Neurodivergent ppl can be disabled by a society not designed for their thriving. But they can and should expect societal barriers to be fixed & their human rights upheld.
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It is the responsibility of the adults around him, such as his EA, to work out which part of the task needs to be modified and to help him with this. This will teach (kid) to be able to ask for necessary accommodations as he progresses in education and life.
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The reason is - (kid) has no lack of perseverance. In fact, that is one of his core Autistic strengths. When he self-advocates that he needs help with a task, it is because the task is not accessible to him.
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I hope this makes sense, and I really thank you for considering this request.
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The
#autistic
confusion of being told “you don’t have to do x”
When the neurotypicals really mean “please stop doing x”
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My
#Autistic
kiddo deserves IEP goals that use the social model of
#Disability
NOT “child will use self regulation skills to manage with overwhelming sensory input”
I want “Child will learn self-advocacy skills to ask for disability adjustments & avoid sensory overload”
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“Mum, that teacher won’t even let that kid cry. That’s SO RUDE.”
At Science World yesterday.
My kiddo loudly and publicly calls out teachers for punishing distress behavior, instead of co-regulating.
Truth-telling and sensing injustice? That’s my autistic ADHD child!
💛
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Schooled by my 6 yo on the social model of disability.
Kid traces my AD♥️HD pin: What’s the ‘AD’?
Me: Attention Deficit
Kid: What’s deficit?
Me: Not enough
Kid: Because people don’t give us enough attention! Like teachers should help us more, but they don’t pay attention to us!
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@autistic_angel
Thank you for sharing 💛🙏
I would feel super safe if I had to have surgery and knew my surgeon was autistic! The attention to detail, pattern recognition and logic/problem solving strengths are exactly what’s needed.
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To every future autistic ADHD doctor: your Neurokin are waiting for you with open arms at
@DoctorsAutistic
Your neurodivergent strengths are just what the medical profession needs! 💛♾️
@autisticdoc
My ASD ADHD daughter has said she can't be a Dr. I am going to show her your picture and tell her indeed she can be. (She's 7 and we are looking for role models for her right now)
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I would be grateful if you would consider changing it to:
"(Kid) has enjoyed working with an Education Assistant to engage in the completion of many class tasks. He is encouraged to persevere when challenged"
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At Autistic ADHDer kid’s parkour class. New coach walks over in break. Heart sinks - will I be told kid is too noisy, not paying attention, not even mastered basic moves?
No. Coach says “what’s the best way I can teach your kid?”
Now THAT’S
#inclusion
!
#ActuallyAutistic
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@vvictorman_uel
Oh yeah. People, and interacting with them has always been SO confusing. From a young age I’ve been trying to study and copy humans. I learnt from tv, cartoons, books, magazines, Internet forums. Notice patterns, notice rules, memorise, script.
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Hi (teacher),
Many thanks for the care and attention you put into writing (kid's) school report. We appreciate your comments and suggestions for development.
I have a request about modifying this comment in the final section of the report:
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Neurodivergent doctor at work. Cool pins thanks to
@doodlebeth
@retrophiliac
and Criminal Press UK.
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"(Kid) has enjoyed working with an Education Assistant to engage in the completion of many class tasks. At times (kid) can be reliant on the support of the Education Assistant and is encouraged to persevere when challenged"
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Yes!
We are on it 🫡
Follow these awesome autistic doctors, academics and researchers:
(pls nominate yourselves & others in comments)
@DoctorsAutistic
@Autistic_Doc
@AutisticDoctor
@SueMcCowan1
@Lau_Cob_
@AnnMemmott
@HeiniMNatri
@DrHelenKara
@DrAimeeGrant
@bigrockbigriver
…
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Disabled math is
How many minutes to edit emails making them shorter and the right “tone” before sending
How many minutes to prepare scripts before phonecalls and meetings
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3. Do you mean “I want you to stay, but I’m giving you an out, because…”
3a. “I’m genuinely worried you’ll be inconvenienced”
or
3b. “I want to create an appearance of concern for your inconvenience to gain social capital”
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1/4 Proud to co-author with
@LCarravallah
&
@bernaharbor
for
@DoctorsAutistic
Our thoughts on interventions for
#autistic
kids
What do we want?
“…a fade to extinction for ethically questionable approaches that disregard neurodiversity”
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@FlamingAthena
@EmilieWigdor
Same here!
I wonder what the Autistic Protective Effect on Ableist Researcher Disorder is?
I’d hypothesize it’s significant - 100% of my offspring are autistic, and are NOT ableist researchers. What proportion of the parents of the researchers on this paper are autistic?
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@MorrisonBeth
Staff failed to provide the support child needed to do the task as fast as staff expected
Staff deprived child of nutrition/hydration
Staff used restrictive practices for child’s normal distress response
It’s sure not the child at fault for abuse, neglect and discrimination!
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I’m an emergency department Geriatrician.
I love getting referrals.
When I ask referrers what the patient wants, they usually don’t know. They haven’t asked.
Nearly always, when I ask the patient, they know what they want.
Presume competence.
#MedTwitter
#Ageism
#Inclusion
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I do so enjoy seeing
@AnnMemmott
dissect ABA research.
Did you know board certified behavior analysts are not required to learn anything about neurodiversity, or even about autism?
Not surprising then to see their flawed takes on autistic people.
In today's peculiar world of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), a snip from a new 'handbook', available from Springer, who write to me to ask how they're doing with diversity & inclusion. Mmm.
On we go... ready? Usual content warnings apply...
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@awesomebrandi
I mask less.
I talk to my autistic kids about the things that are hard for me, because I’m autistic. So they know that when they find the same things hard, it’s real and valid.
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@rachaelvdavis
@JacdenHouting
@nordahlhansen
@SueReviews
💛💛💛“…these interventions risk teaching autistic children that it is their responsibility to modify who they are in order to become more likeable. This is at odds with children’s human rights and best interests.” 💛💛💛
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@Aut_Dr_Parent
Thank you 🙏
I’ve been telling myself this, but it helps to hear it 💛
every person is at a different stage of challenging stereotypes.
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Getting my Neurodivergent on at work. Cool pins thanks to
@doodlebeth
and Criminal Press.
#ActuallyAutistic
#ADHD
doctor.
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@stevesilberman
“Because ‘treatment’ beyond locking up autistics in asylums is fairly new, the industry doesn’t bat an eyelid at ethical breaches. While this is a challenge for autistics & their families trying to find safe care, it’s also an opportunity to sell the wildest ideas at a premium”
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@roryreckons
“The camouflaging behavior would need to begin…at an early age”. Yes. It did. I remember.
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@More_Kat_Moore
Important point! I’m acutely aware of the association between camouflage & mental ill health. Equipping kids with knowledge of non-autistic social expectations, which they may choose to use on their own terms to protect themselves, vs coercing camouflage, is a difficult balance!
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How I explain disabled to my kids:
“Disabled means you have a different body, or a different brain.
That means you need to do some things in a different way, or get different help.”
Happy
#IDPWD2022
#disabled
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Going to talk to a class of 8 & 9 yo kids about autistic brains tomorrow.
I like public speaking (scripting! talking my passions!). I’m good at it. To adults…
But Omg talking to kids feels so HIGH STAKES
How do teachers face this pressure daily?! 😮💨😅
#ActuallyAutistic
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#AskingAutistics
what do you wish your teacher knew?
Me first: “I wish my teacher knew when I seemed “oversensitive” about small mistakes, it’s because I was desperately trying to follow their rules. I loved them, and wanted to do exactly as they asked”
#DisabilityRC
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@conor_davidson
Autistic all the way.
I’m an autistic doctor. There’s no excuse for health professionals to refuse a person’s preferred terminology for themselves. And no excuse to ignore well-evidenced preferred terminology when referring to the autistic community in publications.
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1/3 Proud to co-author this response:
“We, as autistic doctors, disagree with the anti-neurodiversity stance of Singer et al”
What’s our message?
Autism research has a problem.
It doesn’t represent all autistic people.
We think that should change.
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cw: abuse of disabled children
What happens when you combine
Segregation
and
ABA
?
ABA is based on operant conditioning, is fundamentally anti human rights, not neurodiversity affirming.
In segregated settings, hidden from view, it leads to the cruelest abuse
#NDIS
#autism
A boy with autism and a severe intellectual disability was told to be calm. When he moved, he was pinned facedown to the floor for seven minutes.
The program was funded by the NDIS.
Read more:
#4Corners
#NDIS
#disability
#autism
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1/5 Western Australian Minister for Education, on ABA:
“The Dept of Education does not accept that the contemporary Applied Behavioural Analysis approaches adopted in some public schools punish neurodivergent students or otherwise encourage them to adopt masking behaviours”
😳
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@SomeLikeItAut
I liken it to a chainsaw on my soul.
(My spouse is the same as yours - not bothered by it at all!)
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Disabled Neurodivergent Doctor at work!
Disabled, happy, proud pin by
@disabilityshirt
Autistic pin by
@doodlebeth
ADHD pin by Criminal Press UK
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Working in the Emergency Dept this week:
Highlight - got to look after an autistic patient. Rapport was off the charts!
Lowlight - ED doctor describing another doctor as “soooo spectrum-y”.
(They meant the doctor was rude, difficult to work with)
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Hey managers!
Workplace accessibility for autistics 101:
Don’t load your requests with implied information.
#Neurodivergent
#Inclusion
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White professional
#Neurodivergent
#Disabled
colleagues:
Ever think about how we are defying the odds being autistic, adhd,
NOT being dead or in jail,
AND having the careers we have?
That’s because of racism.
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I asked my 6 yo
What happens to teachers who misbehave?
What happens to kids who misbehave and don’t get caught?
How is it fair to kids having a hard time?
We think school parties should include all kids. And kids having a hard time need help, not punishment.
#inclusion
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@ScienceAutistic
That is bullying and abuse and it’s not ok. I’m really sorry you went through that. Doctors need to be better.
You deserve to feel safe, and have your concerns taken seriously, when you’re in a doctors appointment!
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Why are there health professionals who don’t understand autism identifying as doctors now?
Why are there so many young people who don’t fit typical social norms identifying as autistic now?
Is autism an identity now?
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@NAChristakis
I don’t find the ableism subtle.
An important “how to” of harmful autism research:
1. Don’t include autistic researchers or perspectives at any stage
2. Ignore contemporary autism theory (neurodiversity, camouflage) with resultant bias in your sample
3. Use ableist language
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@Elysia_Sky
I think we should find ways to include ppl with intellectual disability in the medical profession. Just because it would need to be different, doesn’t mean it couldn’t be done! Imagine how it’d feel for ppl with intellectual disability to see themselves represented in medicine.
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