Put down that iPad, pick up that PECS box?

Everyday my Facebook feed is littered with the latest miracle stories of how an iPad (or similar device) has helped an autistic child to communicate. Some of those stories are shared from the web, but most of them are from … Continue reading →

Pitfalls of a Strengths-Based Model for Autism

The idea that those involved in the lives of autistic individuals should focus on the strengths instead of the deficits of the person with autism, is a well-spread and well-known one. In this post I’m going to challenge that notion, … Continue reading →

How to negate positive outcomes of the DSM-5 autism changes.

I was not entirely opposed to the DSM-5 changes to the criteria for an autism diagnosis; I saw many benefits, which I outlined in a previous post. Now that the DSM-5 is finalized and available (to those who can afford … Continue reading →

Paths into and out of autism; understanding the love and hate.

I want to propose a different way of thinking about disability – and autism in particular – than what I have encountered so far. I want to challenge the idea that it is helpful to think of all autism in … Continue reading →

When is a win, a loss? Why the NZ Govt is under attack for its Bill on paying family carers

You may recall the case that was fought and won against the New Zealand Government, forcing the Government to accept that it should have been paying family members to care for their disabled children. In response to the case, the … Continue reading →

Better Off Without You

April 2013, an old post of mine receives a comment that awaits moderation. The first time I read it my heart pounds, because it is threatening and abusive. It encourages me to kill my child because of his disability, and … Continue reading →

Anatomy of a Neurotypical Mother

My son is autistic, I am not, but neither am I neurotypical. I’m not a fan of the term “neurotypical,” I don’t find it meaningful or helpful. I’ve analysed and attacked its use before, so I won’t retread that path. … Continue reading →

Autism is not “difference;” why this matters from a parent’s perspective

Ever since I became aware of autism politics, I have been bombarded with the slogan that autism is not disability, it is difference; that disability is (primarily) a social construct, and that autism wouldn’t be considered or treated like a … Continue reading →

State-funded abuse of the intellectually disabled in New Zealand

In the years since I became hyper-aware of how the intellectually disabled have been treated (or mistreated) in New Zealand, I have not been impressed with what I have found. I know that the wonderful and kind institutions are less … Continue reading →