Reframing Autism

✨ It’s Neurodiversity Celebration Week! ✨ Founded by 16-year-old mulitply neurodivergent student Siena Castellon in 2018 following years of prejudice and bullying, Neurodiversity Celebration Week challenges the harmful stereotypes and misconceptions that are levelled against neurodivergent individuals, and unites people of all neurotypes. 🎉 We'd like to celebrate by challenging the unfair labels members of our neurodivergent community are given, and shine a light on the neurodivergent strengths that are often at the heart behind these misnomers. 💛 #AskingAutistics please comment with labels that you have received that you would like to debunk, so we can reframe Autism together. #NeurodiversityCelebrationWeek #ReframingAutism #Neurodiversity #AutismAcceptance #InclusionMatters #DifferentNotLess [ID: Against a purple background with Reframing Autism knotwork logos is a white table. Under the title 'How I'm Labelled' are red cross bullet points listing the words: touchy and easily upset, distractable and fidgety, lazy and irritable, fickle and unreliable, rigid and obsessive, inauthentic, tactless, rude, naive, gullible, cold, uncaring, arrogant, aggressive, overbearing, cocky, slow, procastinatory, obtuse, imperceptive, distractable, disorganised, nosy, righteous, disabled by my 'disorder', weird. Under the title 'What I really am' are green ticks listing the words: Sensitive/hyperempathic, anxious and unsure, dysregulated, juggling social burnout, hyperfocused and passionate, masking for survival, honest, direct, trusting, altruistic, logical, solutions-based, autonomous, self-preserving, knowledgeable, sincere, meticulous, conscientious, seeking clarity, processing, observant, mentally agile, moral, just-minded, disabled by my environment, neurodivergent. Centred beneath is the Reframing Autism logo.]

📢 New Research Announcement! 📢 We are thrilled to share a study exploring Autistic mothers' experiences of interacting with schools for their Autistic children. 🏫 (Autistic mothers are mothers of Autistic children who are also Autistic themselves). This research, in which Dr. Melanie Heyworth, the founder of Reframing Autism, was involved, sheds light on the unique challenges that mothers face as they navigate the education system, advocating for their children's needs, and working to create an inclusive environment. 💬 🤝 This is a crucial step in understanding the importance of support, communication, and collaboration between families and schools. Rabba AS; Smith J; Hall G; Alexander V; Batty K; Datta P; Goodall E; Heyworth M; Lamb S; Lawson W; Lilley R; Reid K; Syeda N; Pellicano E; (November 2024). 'I'm sick of being the problem': Autistic mothers' experiences of interacting with schools for their autistic children. https://lnkd.in/gii96EZE [ID: Image 1: On a teal background with the Reframing Autism logo at the top, there is an image of a phone with a news alert on the left-hand side, and the Reframing Autism colourful knot logo is on the right hand side. In the centre, white text reads 'I'm sick of being the problem', Rabba AS., Smith J., Hall G., et al. (2024) Autistic mothers' experiences of interacting with schools for their Autistic children. In the bottom right corner there is a white circle with an arrow leading to page two. ID continued in first comment]

🤔 Do you have questions about Autism & ADHD in children and young people? Have you registered for our next event? Join Tara Kent, developmental educator and neuro-affirming behavioural support extraordinaire on this important topic. Monday March 24 2025 12pm-1:30pm AEDT + replay 🔗 Learn more and secure your ticket now: https://lnkd.in/gNmrnSD7 This webinar is designed for parents, professionals, and allies, and will provide practical tips and insights. If you are interested in the same topic but with a focus on adults, you can find it on demand already using the same link. And if you have any questions about this topic please feel free to leave them in the comments below (or email them to learning@reframingautism.org.au ). We can't guarantee all questions will be able to be answered live, but will do our best. Note: Please do not share identifiable information about your child, or specific people/services who might be supporting them on a public forum. #ActuallyAutistic #Autism #ADHD #AUDHD #Neurodiversity #Neurodivergent #TaraKent #NDAffirming #ReframingAutism [ID: A purple background featuring the Reframing Autism logo and white text that reads "Autism & ADHD in Children & Young People. Live webinar with Tara Kent. Monday March 24th at 12pm AEDT. Don't forget to register!" In the bottom half of the image there is a photograph of a light skinned man and boy in neutral coloured casual clothing playing with colourful magnet tiles. They are both sitting on a white couch decorated with colourful Mexican style cushions and blankets. The Reframing Autism knot logo is in the top left-hand corner.]

📣✒️ Check out this new article from Autistic provisional psychologist Mack Ash about Autistic masking. This insightful article, intended as a primer for those new to the topic, explores what it can look like, the reasons it might happen, the impact it can have and how to reduce the negative consequences associated with masking. It also touches on how not all Autistic people feel the term masking is accurate or reflective of their lived experience. 🔗 You can read the article on our website at https://lnkd.in/gcrcNJzf #ActuallyAutistic #Neurodiversity #SelfAcceptance #InclusiveCommunity #AutisticSupport #AutisticWellbeing #AutisticMasking #AutisticCamouflaging #ReframingAutism [ID: Against a blue background with Reframing Autism logo at the bottom left and knotwork in the bottom right, a white title reads 'Autistic masking can look like...'. Beneath, a list of text boxes with super hero mask bullet points read: 'Agreeing to requests even when feeling overwhelmed. Consciously not stimming or sharing information about SPINs. Making eye contact even when it feels uncomfortable. Smiling or laughing because it is socially expected. Not asking for accommodations or ignoring sensory discomfort.'] Note: SPINs, or “special interests”, are subjects or activities of enthusiastic interest

Last year we put a call out for our Autistic community to share their many different personal experiences of eye contact. From this, we collated their experiences into a community blog that articulates: 🔶 how making eye contact can feel; 🔶 how it can affect sensory and information processing; 🔶 how it can vary across settings; 🔶 and how it can play into masking and unmasking. We're limited in our video as to how many we could feature due to social media time constraints, so please read our blog which captures the full spectrum of community responses: https://lnkd.in/gn3CZfzx We'd like to thank our #ActuallyAutistic community for contributing their lived experience to help inform and debunk myths around Autistic eye contact. [ID: A video of #ActuallyAutistic Experiences of Eye Contact with speech bubbles centred and the Reframing Autism logo at the top. Following the opening frame is a series of quotations of Autistic experiences of eye contact. They read: "After a lifetime of masking and society telling me I need to maintain eye contact to “be respectful”, I don't even know what a natural, comfortable level of eye contact for me is." – Sean Hynes, "When I am near sensory overload, I cannot make eye contact at all ... When I am regulated, I tend to make too much eye contact." – Rainah Miqueli, "I look at the whole person, but if I gaze past the person to allow me to think, I notice they look over their shoulder to check what I'm looking at. Awkward!" – Eleanor Dwyer, "It feels very violating and icky to me and I don't do it. I get around it by looking at some other part of the face. Interestingly, I didn't know I wasn't making eye contact until I was in my 60s." – Carol Dale, AuDHD, "Masking techniques I use to avoid eye contact include unfocussed gaze; looking at the bridge of their nose; and exaggerated mannerisms to demonstrate that I'm “looking around the room to find the words”. – Jewel Rose Oshan, "I have the ‘look into your soul’ type eye contact. I can lock into looking into people's eyes and it can feel very intimate. So, I spend most of the time not engaging in too much eye contact so I don't make other people feel uncomfortable ..." – Anonymous, "When I was in graduate school, a “concerned mentor” informed me that my lack of eye contact would hurt me professionally. Perhaps he was right since that was over twenty years before my diagnosis and I never met my professional goals." – Mike’s Neurodivergent Toolbox, "I know I don’t look at all when I have to speak, I tend to process what to say and how I’m going to say it easier when I look up, which has been misinterpreted as eye rolling. 🙄 " – Claire Thompson, AuDHD]

📋 Formal autism diagnoses are often based on tools that were created without Autistic input and focus on a deficits-based, outdated and pathologised understanding of autism. In our recent Position Statement on Diagnosis, Reframing Autism challenges how effective and accurate these tools are. We’re calling for research into new, standardised diagnostic tools that are co-designed with the Autistic community — so they reflect Autistic strengths, are neuro-affirming, and recognise the diverse ways Autistic people think, communicate, and function. 🔗 Read our Position Statement on Diagnosis here: https://lnkd.in/g7t5dWrf ❓ #AskingAutistics who have been formally assessed, based on your experience, how could the process have been made more neuro-affirming? #Neurodiversity #AutismAcceptance #AutisticDiagnosis #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #AutisticCoDesign #NeuroaffirmingDiagnosis #ReframingAutism [ID: Against a teal background with the Reframing Autism knotwork in the bottom left, white text reads: "Reframing Autism questions the efficacy and accuracy of diagnostic tools which were developed without Autistic guidance or input, and which rely on deficits-based, pathologised and outdated understandings of Autism. We thus call for research into standardised diagnostic tools, which are genuinely co-produced with the Autistic community, so that diagnostic tools and the diagnostic process are strength-based and neuro-affirming, and are attuned to the many variations of Autistic processing, communicating and functioning." The Reframing Autism logo is centred below the quote.]

Last month the Australian Government released the National Roadmap to Improve the Health and Mental Health of Autistic People. https://lnkd.in/gDxECH_2 The goals of the Roadmap are to: ➡️ Improve support for Autistic people, their families and carers, in health and mental health services ➡️ Improve the quality, safety and availability of Autism Affirming health and mental health care across the lifespan of Autistic people ➡️ Build better connections between health, mental health, and other service sectors, including the NDIS ➡️ Improve Autism education and training for health and disability professionals  ➡️ Strengthen research and data on health and mental health of Autistic people and their families and carers. We acknowledge the incredible effort and bravery of the Autistic community and our supporters and allies, who shared stories and experiences which were pivotal to the crafting of this Roadmap. We call for the Australian Government to respect and value these experiences - and the hard work of the Roadmap Working Group - by funding the actions which, if implemented, would make significant positive changes to Autistic lives in Australia across the lifespan. #InclusiveHealthcare #DisabilityRights #NationalAutismStrategy #AutismAdvocacy #Inclusion [ID: Against a blue background with the Reframing Autism logo at the bottom right and knotwork logo at the bottom left, white text reads: "We acknowledge the incredible effort and bravery of the Autistic community and our supporters and allies, who shared stories and experiences which were pivotal to the crafting of this Roadmap. We call for the Australian Government to respect and value these experiences - and the hard work of the Roadmap Working Group - by funding the actions which, if implemented, would make significant positive changes to Autistic lives in Australia across the lifespan."]

On Saturday 8th March, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and achievements of women everywhere - including transgender women and all those who embrace their gender identity with pride. Every journey is unique, and today we honour all the ways women of all backgrounds and experiences shape our world. Let’s continue to uplift, empower, and support each other. Whether you’re fighting for equality, breaking barriers, or simply living your truth, your voice matters. Here’s to progress, love, and solidarity. 💛 #InternationalWomensDay #WomensEmpowerment #GenderEquality #TransRightsAreHumanRights #CelebrateDiversity #WomenSupportingWomen #ReframingAutism [ID: On a teal background with the Reframing Autism logo at the top, white text reads, 'Happy International Women's Day, Saturday 8 March 2025'. Below the text, there is a colorful image of a diverse group of women celebrating, with colourful confetti falling from above them. The Reframing Autism knot logo is positioned in the bottom right corner.]

We, as Autistic people, can often feel as though we're failing at life because the education, employment, health and social systems we access are built around a non-autistic experience of the world, so do not help us to succeed in the way they help the neuromajority. This can lead to the development of a very critical inner voice and an internalised brokenness. It's important to remember to show ourselves kindness. This may be as simple as an affirmation that validates your Autistic experience of the world. #ActuallyAutistic #Neurodiversity #SelfCompassion #KindnessToSelf #Affirmations #LivedExperience #ReframingAutism [ID: With the Reframing Autism logo at the top and a purple background, five magenta speech bubbles read: 1.) I am the expert in myself; 2.) I am learning to be kind and patient with myself; 3.) I am not a burden and my needs are important; 4.) Doing my best looks different and that's ok; 5.) I am not a bad person for setting boundaries. I am entitled to communicate my needs.]

🌟 Special offer! 🌟 We’re thrilled to announce our upcoming Autism Month event, a panel on Travelling with Curiosity, Care and Confidence and to be able to offer it at a discounted priced of $15 per ticket (plus booking fee, a saving of $14) for Autism Month and acknowledge the additional attention and impact that this time of year can bring for Autistic people and their loved ones. Travel can be an enriching and joyful experience, offering new opportunities for exploration and connection. For Autistic individuals and families, it can also present unique challenges that require thoughtful planning and strategies. Whether you’re an Autistic adult or a parent of an Autistic child, this panel discussion is designed to help you embrace the positives of travel while effectively managing its complexities. 🧳Join our expert panel of experienced Autistic travellers and parents of younger adventurers, as they share their insights and experiences. We are thrilled to be joined by Ainslie Robinson (Aspect), Patrick Saunders (The Story Speller), Travis Saunders (Inclusive Trails) & Alex Stratikis (Autism Adventures Abroad) as well as our own Dr. Melanie Heyworth & Tori Haar for this exciting event. Whether you're planning a world adventure 🌎 or a week at a caravan park ⛺, this panel discussion will provide you ideas, tools and greater confidence to make travel a more positive and enriching experience. The session will cover a range of areas including: ✅ Preparation & Planning ⚖️ Balancing Different Needs & Desires 🥞 Sensory and Dietary Considerations 🗨️ Communication and Advocacy 🧸 Travelling with Kids Find out more about our speakers and the session on our website: https://lnkd.in/gUcuF6vn This live virtual event will be held on Monday April 28th at 12pm AEST. Register today to secure your place (a recording will also be made available 1-2 business days after the event if you are unable to attend live). #Autism #TravelTips #InclusiveTravel #FamilyAdventure #TravellingwithKids #TravelConfidence #AutisticCommunity #VirtualPanelDiscussion #ReframingAutism [ID: A workshop is advertised in white type against a blue background. It reads "Travelling with Curiosity, Care & Confidence. Live online panel discussion on Autism and travel. Only $15 + booking fee (save $14) as a promotional price for Autism Month." In the bottom half of the image there is a photograph of a the backs of a casually dressed family looking up at a sign in an airport. The two adults are holding the handle of a suitcase in each hand. In the top left hand corner the Reframing Autism logo and rainbow infinity knot is displayed.]