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Category: Autistic Community and Culture

The Meaning of Inclusion

The Meaning of Inclusion

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On this blog, I’ve spent a lot of time criticizing the idea that everyone should be forced to attend mainstream schools, regardless of whether they want to or not.  In doing so, I’ve sometimes suggested that I am opposed to “inclusion” itself, but that’s not exactly correct.  Previously, I’ve never really unpacked the difference between the concepts of mainstreaming or integration and the concept of inclusion, even though there is a very important distinction between them.  I want to clarify…

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Building Autistic Community

Building Autistic Community

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Many autistic people have spoken or written about the benefits of autistic community.  For example, Jim Sinclair has some eloquent thoughts on the subject.  I firmly agree that these communities have much to offer us.  I’ve facilitated two communities for autistic college students at two different universities, and I’ve also been part of some other autistic groups, and had generally positive experiences in them. We live in a neurotypical world: a world in which autism is habitually treated as pathology,…

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Silos and Echo Chambers in the World of Autism

Silos and Echo Chambers in the World of Autism

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Since the 1960s, numerous social psychology studies have shown that people in echo chambers become more extreme in their shared views.  This finding is important enough that it has a name: the group polarization effect.  This can be positive or negative, depending on the group: when people who aren’t racist get together with other non-racists, everybody gets even less racist, but when people who are a bit racist get together with other racists, they become more racist (Myers & Bishop,…

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Autistic Identity, Information, and Community: Why Wait until Adulthood?

Autistic Identity, Information, and Community: Why Wait until Adulthood?

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I’m a big believer in the idea of an autistic community.  We live in a world where autistic people are isolated and marginalized.  Furthermore, we live in a world where typically-developing people’s expectations and preferences regarding social interactions and customs are valued, and where autistic people’s own preferences are generally not valued.  Communities of autistic adults can provide us with unconditional acceptance and the opportunity to be among others who, even if they’re not necessarily similar to us, will at…

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