Thinking Person's Guide to Autism

@thinkingautism.com

17948 Followers 874 Following

The greatest autism info you will ever find, from autistic people, professionals, and parents. www.ThinkingAutism.com & buttondown.com/TPGA. Pro-neurodiversity. Even more TPGA community discussions on IG and FB.

Graphic with a light gray background. Text reads, "Loneliness is about feeling disconnected, not just about how much time you spend with others. An autistic person can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely if their participation does not feel meaningful, safe, or sustainable. -Hari Srinivasan” In the lower left corner, smaller text reads, "@ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/AutisticLoneliness" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Graphic with a pale green-blue horizontal gradient background. Text reads, "Many autistic people cite nature as being a place of deep calm and joy for them—there, the noticing and atypical sensory experience can grant access to a heightened world of sensory joy rather than be a barrier to a comfortable experience. -Sarah Hendrickx" Text in the lower left reads, "@ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/JoyInAutism" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right.]
Canva graphic with a pale yellow background. Text reads, "When people say “But my autistic child learned how to do this thing from ABA” What they probably mean is that their child benefitted from 1 to 1 support and instruction. Autistic children do NOT need ABA therapy to learn. But they may need individualized supports. Fight for funding those supports. #BetterWaysThanABA" Text in the lower right corner reads, " "@ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/ABAoptions" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Canva graphic with a pale pink background. Text reads, "What Helps Autistic Children Live a “Good Life”? Researchers asked autistic adults and parents of autistic children, who mentioned four important areas: 1. Autistic children being accepted as their real or true self 2. Autistic children finding the things that they enjoy & that energize them 3. Autistic children having a sense of control in their life, and 4. Physical environments that suit autistic children’s sensory needs" Small text in the lower left reads, "From Simpson, Allen, Wheeley, Pellicano, Heyworth, den Houting, Bowen, & Adams tinyurl.com/GoodAutisticLives" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Image with a blue background. White text reads, "New Medicaid Expansion Changes Hurt People with Disabilities".
Graphic with a light green background. "Text reads, "We talk about how, for many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, your life is that you go from your “special school” to your “special home” to your “special job,” and your whole life is “special,” but what’s really special about it is how you are treated especially badly. -Esther Warwick" In the lower left corner, smaller text reads, "@ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/EstherWarwick" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Graphic with a coral-colored background. Text at the top reads, "Why did Black Spectrum Scholar have their advocacy and motives challenged, after they asked whether an autism diagnosis business was behaving unethically in coaching people on how to take an online autism screening test?" Next is a Screenshot of a Threads post by Black Spectrum Scholar quoting an Embrace Autism post. The Black Spectrum Scholar quote reads, “There are serious ethical concerns with what Embrace Autism is doing here: giving advice that effectively teaches people how to increase their RAADS-R score. “The purpose of a screening questionnaire is to answer as accurately and honestly as possible based on one’s actual experience." Next, text reads, "We wanted to know more, so we talked with Kaligirwa (Black Spectrum Scholar) about the incident and its repercussions both for them, and for the already-questioned validity of autistic self-diagnosis." Text in the lower left reads, "@ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/kaligirwaAtTPGA" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Screenshot of the top of a TPGA article titled, "Neurodiversity Needs Neuroinclusive Leadership" by John Marble. The background is a graphic with an orange-red background. On the left is a silhouette of a person helping another person up to a mountain peak. Above them is an orange sun and a silhouetted flock of birds.
Graphic with a background in AASPIRE lavender. Text reads, "We know autistic adults experience health disparities. But most existing health survey measures are hard for autistic people to use, or not tested with autistic people." Next is a graphic with the AASPIRE logo on a white background with text reading, "Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Eduation" Next, text reads, "Now the AASPIRE Measurement Toolkit is available! This is a set of accessible questionnaires that can be used to measure the outcomes most important to autistic adults. They can be used in clinical, community, and/or research settings." In the lower left corner, text reads, "@ThinkingAutism www.aaspire.org/measurement" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Graphic with a green background. "Text reads, "A small but crucial shift: Let’s support our autistic and disabled students to be ‘contributing’ members of society. instead of ‘productive’ members of society. “'A person can contribute through their presence, their perspective, their shared joy, their ideas, their supportive energy, or their actions, just to name a few. Focusing on making sure all our students are ready to shine in the world is what that word means to me.' “'Productivity is, for me, linked to producing for capitalism. Disabled people and many others have been greatly harmed through eugenic mindsets that connect humanity with ability to produce.'” "-Joyner Emerick" Text in the lower left corner reads, "@ThinkingAutism www.facebook.com/Neuromess.blog" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Graphic with a pale yellow background. Text on the upper right reads, "Anything less than the unconditional love we have for our autistic kids is just details. "Katie Rose Guest Pryal, interviewed at TPGA" Underneath is the cover of Pryal's book Your Kid Belongs Here. Text in the lower left reads, "@ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/YourKidBelongsHere" On the right is a photo of the author, a white women with long wavy blonde hair coming over her right shoulder. The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Photo of actress Ashley Storrie, a white Scottish woman with long curly dark brown hair with the front pinned up off her face. On the right is a TPGA article title text box, reading, "Talking With Dinosaur Star and Co-Creator Ashley Storrie"
Graphic with a light blue background, and a photo of plain noodles on a blue plate. Text above the photo reads, "Safe Foods "Most people have a version of safe food, even if they don’t name it that way. For Kari Burroughs Kraakevik, safe food is 'how I make eating possible.' At TPGA." Text in the lower left corner reads, "@ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/SafeFoodsTPGA" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Graphic with a white background. Text at the top reads, "Autism Overdiagnosis, my ass Emily Willingham explains how misleading recent “autism overdiagnosis” proclamations are, & why we need a bigger diagnosis tent, not a smaller one, in this week’s TPGA newsletter. Next is a photo of a circus tent reflected in water, credited to Robert Penaloza on Unsplash. In the lower left corner, text reads, "@ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/BiggerTentTPGA" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right.
Graphic with a white background. Text at the top reads, "Bloomberg’s recent ABA therapy article leads with pro-ABA voices. We think you should hear from autistic survivors first." Underneath is a screenshot from the article. On the right is a photo of Kaitlin Phelan, a white woman with shoulder-length dark brown hair and bangs. Text on the left reads, "Kaitlin Phelan, a 26-year-old library worker in Los Angeles, began ABA therapy for autism at age 3 and continued for about four years. She says the rewards system, which often involved crumbled-up Oreo cookies, led to disordered eating and other traumatic experiences. “Having ABA in my primary years, I think it definitely rewired my brain in a way that made me not trust my instincts, not trust my feelings—dissociating from my body and not feeling like my body is mine,” she says. "The fundamental problem with ABA, many opponents say, is that it treats behavior as something to be controlled rather than as a form of communication. It may address symptoms, they argue, but it doesn’t resolve underlying issues. “ABA frames itself as teaching skills, but it’s not,” Hunt says. “They’re conditioning responses.” Text in the lower right reads, "@ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/BloombergABA" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right.
Screenshot of the heading of a TPGA newsletter. Text at the top reads, "Federal autism advisory stocked with outdated wannabes. Some names on the IACC list are such musty public health threats that they trigger an Obi Wan–like feeling of “Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.” A photo at the bottom shows 19th century bottles of poisons and fake remedies.
Timelapse video of a train trip along a Czech river, with alternating built up and pastoral views.
TPGA editor Carol Greenburg at the John Lennon Wall in Prague, next to a TPGA sticker. Text at the top reads, "TPGA represented hard at #INSAR2026 in Prague" Text at the bottom reads, "Stay tuned for full conference coverage @ThinkingAutism" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Sign taped on a public bathroom mirror, reading “hand dryers are currently switched off to reduce noise for participants with sensory sensitivities. Paper towels is dead. Thank you.”
Map of part of Prague Congress Center Level 1, with the Club Foyer area circled in red.
Graphic with a dark brown background. At the top is the ASAN icon of a spiraling rainbow heptagon. Text reads, "The Death of Alex LaMorie: Autism Training for Police Is Not Enough. "There is very little data to suggest that autism training for police improves police interactions with autistic people, or reduces violence against our community. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) has been saying this for a very long time." Text in the lower left corner reads, "@ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/AlexLaMorieASAN" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Flyer with a light gray background. On the upper left is a purple silhouetted human head in profile. On the upper right is the neurodiversity rainbow infinity symbol. Text reads, "Research Participants Needed. "Non-autistic siblings required who have grown up with Autistic siblings. "I am a final year MSc student at University of Portsmouth. I am seeking to recruit non-autistic siblings who grew up with autistic siblings to take part in research for my final project. "This would be an excellent opportunity for non-autistic siblings to share their lived experience about growing up with non-autistic sibling(s). If you are interested and meet the criteria below please get in touch. "Criteria Required: "•18 years+ and be non-Autistic "•Sibling(s) must be diagnosed autistic and require some level of support "•Available to be interviewed through Zoom/Teams "Interested? If you would like to take part or are interested to find out more, then please message me or email Rebecca.Scully@myport.ac.uk"
Photo of Most of the IRL attendees of AutINSAR 2025, posing as a group. Text in a box in the center reads, "What Autistic People Want From Autism Research: AutINSAR 2025 Recap"
Graphic with a dark red background. Text reads, "There is no such thing as “mild” autism. "If an autistic person is not “obviously” autistic, either they are masking for their safety or others’ convenience—which in the long term imperils their mental health—or they are actually getting the supports and accommodations they need, so they aren’t forced to demonstrate distress or dysregulation." Smaller text in the lower right corner reads, "@ThinkingAutism ThinkingAutism.com" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Graphic with a white background. Text at the top reads, "TPGA T-shirt Fundraiser. Help us support our writers and artists!" Underneath is a black v-neck t-shirt with a center rectangle of art showing red, black, and white fidget spinners on a white background with the text "@thinkingAutism". Over the bottom of the shirt is an enlargement of the art, with an arrow pointing to the art and text reading, "Original fidget spinner art by Sonny Hallett" In the lower left of the page, text reads, "@ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/TPGAtees" In the center bottom, all-caps text reads, "Order here!" with an arrow pointing to the URL on its left. In the lower right is the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo.
Graphic with a light gray to white horizontal gradient background. Text reads, "Many autistics speak late, a little, or not at all. This is called being “autistic with speech divergence” (A-SD). "A-SD people, even with intellectual (dis)abilities, often have strong visual and hearing skills. These skills are key to how A-SD folks understand and communicate—but are not always recognized in the usual assessments (e.g., IQ testing). "ND-informed assessments & supports can build on A-SD strengths instead of trying to “fix” A-SD autistics." Smaller text in the lower left reads, "Steven K. Kapp &Juliette Gudknecht tinyurl.com/AutisticSpeechDivergence" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Screenshot of the top of the April 6th TPGA newsletter. Text at the top reads, "Autism Acceptance Month: recommended reading and a warning "April is Autism Acceptance Month. Here's a short reading list for you, plus guidance on suspect autism organizations." Underneath is a photo of a field of Joshua trees in front of a mountain range. A yellow diamond-shaped sign in the foreground has graphics of bees, and text reading "Warning ahead"
Graphic with a light pink background. Text reads, "“The breaking point came when I was instructed to withhold food and drink from my toddler until she produced specific verbal responses. I ended services that same day. "Henny Kupferstein, on how one autistic mother’s pursuit of truth is part of a broader shift toward patient-led accountability, ethics, and reform. At TPGA." Smaller text in the lower left reads, "@ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/AutisticPatientUprising" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right.
Graphic with a dark red background. A rainbow infinity symbol is at the top. Text reads, "It’s Autism Acceptance Month! "Want to participate? Excellent. The best choice is to listen, learn—and lean back to make space for autistic people and autistic-informed resources. "We have advice about good (and bad) autism orgs: tinyurl.com/UsefulAutismOrgs" Smaller text in the lower left reads, "ThinkingAutism #AutismAcceptanceMonth" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right.
Graphic with a white background. Text reads, "Content warning: "APRIL STARTS TOMORROW "For 2026, we want to know what annoys you the most about April’s Autism Awareness Avalanche. "Go on, let it out." Smaller text in the lower left corner reads,"@ThinkingAutism #AutismAcceptanceMonth" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Graphic with a photo of a restaurant's demolished interior. Piles of black trashbags are in one corner, and wooden debris is piled along a wall. Overlaid text reads, "Yesterday my autistic son and I walked into our favorite comfort restaurant and saw... this. Closed. Demolished. No notice. GAAAH WE DO NOT LIKE CHANGE! (He took it better than I did.)" Along the bottom, smaller text reads, "@ThinkingAutism". The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Graphic with a white background and a black triangular "danger" sign at the top containing an exclamation point. Text reads, "Parents of autistic kids: dont let yourself get manipulated by anti-neurodiversity spin, or people who want you to fear and distrust a movement that is actually there to help you and your family." "Ember Green explains, at TPGA." Smaller text in the lower left corner reads, "tinyurl.com/DebunkingAntiNeurodiversity Ember Green @ThinkingAutism" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right.
Photo of The Mandalorian and Grogu meeting a delighted small child at Disneyland. The child is looking up at Mando and he is grasping their hand.
Mickey Mouse pancake on a white plate.
Watercolor image of red and black fidget spinners, on a white background.
Graphic with a background of a rainbow over a green field. Text reads, "Many people assume that 'neurodivergent' simply means 'autism,' when the term involves a wide range of inherited and acquired neurodivergences like ADHD, OCD, learning disabilities, depression, and traumatic brain injury" "By Sara Eileen O'Neil Woods, at TPGA" Smaller text in the lower left corner reads, "@ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/DifferentialDiagnosisTPGA" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
White man with thinning short dark brown hair, seen from behind, cranking a wall full of white cogs—as Janet Lawson, a white woman with shoulder-length light red hair and glasses, laughs.
Graphic with a red-to-orange horizontal gradient background. White text reads, "Even though my autism diagnosis came late, I’m grateful for it; without it, I probably would have continued to be mired in self-hatred (which I still struggle with). “But I can’t help but wonder how things would have been different if I’d been diagnosed autistic as a child.” "-Leah Welborn, at TPGA" Underneath is a pulsing animation of a large white asterisk. At the bottom left, text reads, "@ThinkingAutism Full article: tinyurl.com/LeahWelbornTPGA" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Graphic with a dark red background, and an animation of a flying insect fluttering at the top. White text reads, "“Profound autism” is a harmful label—one that oversimplifies autistic support needs. "Please know: If parents rely purely on “profound autism” advocates, they will NOT find good resources or help their children." Smaller text in the lower left reads, "@ThinkingAutism Full article: tinyurl.com/ProfoundAutismNope" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower left.
two men on a hilly green trail looking at a black cow and her calf.
Graphic with a white background. Black bold text with red highlighted bits reads, "One of the most straightforward ways to improve the lives of caregivers for autistic children and adults is to help them understand the way their autistic loved ones experience the world—different, yes, but also legitimate. "We can help." Smaller text in the lower left reads, "@ThinkingAutism full article: tinyurl.com/supporting-caregivers" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right.
Do not equate murder with devotion whenever disabled people are the victims "Murder is never excusable. There are always other options. Always." Smaller text in the lower left corner reads, "@ThinkingAutism Full article: tinyurl.com/NoExcusesTPGA" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Graphic with a red background. Text reads, "Most new IACC appointees are autism pseudoscience has-beens who were never taken seriously by the autism research community, and were shunned by the media after the 2015 Disneyland measles outbreak showed the public health consequences of anti-vaccine disinfo. And now RFK Jr. has resurrected them." Smaller text in the lower left corner reads, "@ThinkingAutism". The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Graphic with a black background. Block text reads, "For autistic people, Task-switching is hard, and new plans take work. "It takes time and effort to get going, to change direction, or to stop. "And since This is an autistic thing, it includes autistics of all support profiles." Small text in the lower left reads, "Fergus Murray, at @ThinkingAutism Full article: tinyurl.com/UnderstandAutismTPGA" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right.
Graphic with a white background. Block text reads, "Today in hell yes, research! "Self-diagnosed autistic adults tend to have the same traits as diagnosed autistic adults—but with more unmet mental well-being and support needs. "So why are they self-diagnosed? "Mostly because adult autisim diagnoses can be prohibitively expensive." Smaller text in the lower left corner reads, "Ahuvia, Gurbuz, Kapp, Gurba, et al Full paper: tinyurl.com/SelfDiagnosedAutistics" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Graphic with a black background and a photo of Steve Silberman, a smiling white man with salt-and-pepper hair. White text at the top reads, "Steve Silberman was such a mensch. He was a well of bottomless compassion. And I still can't believe he's gone." Text in the lower left corner reads, "@ThinkingAutism More info: tinyurl.com/SteveSilbermanTPGA" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Graphic with a pale pink background. Block text reads, "Physical therapy can be so helpful, and so needed for a variety of the health issues we navigate as autistic people. "A lot of this comes down to the PT’s ability to partner with you to meet your, or your child’s, individual needs. "So, how can you figure out whether a physical therapist is likely to be a good fit?" In the lower left corner is smaller text reading, "@ThinkingAutism We have advice: tinyurl.com/GoodAutismPT" In the lower right corner is the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo.
Graphic with a black background. Text reads, "Please use the terms ‘non-speaking’ or ‘minimally speaking’ instead of ‘nonverbal’ or ‘minimally verbal.’ Why? “These terms are clearer, more accurate, and may result in fewer presumptions about the language abilities of the people described with such terms.” "Bottema-Beutel, Zisk, Zimmerman, & Yu" "More info: tinyurl.com/UseNonSpeaking" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower right corner.
Graphic with a white background. Text reads, "Why might parents wrongly believe their autistic kids thrive in ABA therapy?" "Parents who come from outside the autism community are usually uninformed about autism, and tend to believe non-autistic professionals about what autistic kids need to thrive—including the normalization goals of ABA therapy." "@ThinkingAutism More info: tinyurl.com/QuestioningABA" The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo is in the lower left hand corner.
Thinking Person’s Guide to autism sticker on a New Orleans lamppost.
man seen from behind on wooded trail heading towards colorful peak.
video of a seated man, from behind. He is stimming with Mardi Gras beads, and watching miniature freight trains run on multi-level woodland tracks.
Animated graphic with a red background. Black text reads, "When a beloved animal dies, what is a helpful way to help you or your autistic loved one cope?" Below is an icon from a visual schedule, with a photo of Claude underwater and reflected, next to a reflection of a teen white boy sort of wearing a black face mask. Text on the right of the icon reads, "Cal Academy" Underneath, text reads, "R.I.P. Claude the albino alligator, red-eyed star of CalAcademy, We will miss you so much." Smaller text in the lower left reads, "@ThinkingAutism" A grouping in the lower right includes black text reading "We're here" with a red arrow pointing from the text to the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo.
Graphic with a red background. White block text at the top reads, "Only donate to autism orgs that:" Underneath is a white checklist with red checkmarks and black text reading, "Focus on supports, not cures "Prioritize understanding autism "Advocate for autistics' rights "Have autistics in leadership "Provide autistic-informed info "tinyurl.com/UsefulAutismOrgs" In the lower left corner, white text reads, "@ThinkingAutism #GivingTuesday" In the lower right corner, a grouping of graphics has white text reading "We're here" with a red arrow pointing to the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo.
Animated graphic with a brown background. Block text reads, "Holiday gatherings can be really hard for autistic kids and adults "And the reasons why aren’t always obvious "So please use and share our guide to helping autistics avoid meltdown triggers" In the lower left, smaller text reads, "@ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/AvoidingHolidayMeltdowns" In the lower right, white text reads "we're here" and a yellow arrow point from that text to the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo.
Animated graphic with a red background. Block text reads, "Vaccines have nothing to do with autism "Autistic people deserve love & support, not fear mongering & lies "Autistic kids need protection from vaccine-preventable diseases, too" Smaller text in the lower left corner reads, "@ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/VaccineAutismTruths" A grouping in the lower right corner has text reading "we're here" with a bright red arrow pointing to the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo.
Animated graphic with a black black background. Block text reads, "Be aware of unexpected autistic sensory 'icks' 'Putting dishes away, the sound of the plates clashing together, the noise of the dishes being emptied from the dishwasher. It all just hurts my ears!'” Smaller text in the lower left reads, "Shamiha Patel @ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/SensoryIcks" A grouping in the lower right has small text reading, "We're here" with a red arrow pointing to the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo.
Animated graphic with a white background. Block text reads, " when parenting intersects with trauma, disability, and nervous system overwhelm, it is not about blame. It is about honesty, safety, love, and the hard work of returning to each other." Smaller text in the lower left reads, "Liz Koch @ ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/HonestParentingTPGA" A small animated grouping of graphics in the lower right include black text reading, "just ask!" with a red arrow pointing to the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo.
Animated graphic with a whitish-blueish background. Block text in the center reads, "Healthcare providers need to know that autism and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome often go together—otherwise they can miss combined accommodation and support needs" Smaller text in the lower left corner reads, "Autistic PT Iris Warchall @ThinkingAutism" A small animated grouping of graphics in the lower right include black text reading, "just ask!" with a red arrow pointing to the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo.
Graphic with a green-to-blue diagonal gradient background. Block text in the center reads, "Everyone can learn and pick up new skills over time, whether or not they have an intellectual disability. This is part of why labels like 'low-functioning' are hurtful." Smaller text in the lower left reads, "By Finn Gardiner @ThinkingAutism tinyurl.com/AgainstFunctioningLabels" A small animated grouping of graphics in the lower right include black text reading, "just ask!" with a red arrow pointing to the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism logo.