Autistic Resistance - the Foundations: Resources 
(Blueprints of Disruption episode #4)
 
compiled by Lulu Larcenciel

Autistic Resistance Podcast episode accompanying this doc:
Autistic Resistance: The Foundations - Blueprints of Disruption 

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Introductory Summaries
What is Autism? What is Neurodiversity? Why is there a struggle for liberation?
(the real basics!)

• “About Autism” About Autism - Autistic Self Advocacy Network 
• “Autism 101: Resources from the Autistic Community” Resources from the Autistic community » NeuroClastic 
• Neurodiversity Library: “Neurodiversity 101” Neurodiversity 101 
• “Autism and the Pathology Paradigm”
  Autism & the Pathology Paradigm • NEUROQUEER 
  

Language:

Why do we say “Autistic” instead of “living with/ has/ suffers from/ afflicted/ etc” ?

• “Why The Autistic Community Needs You To Use Identity First Language”
  Why the Autistic Community Needs You to Use Identity-First Language | NeuroClastic 
• “Explaining Identity-First Language” - Autistic Self-Advocacy Network https://autisticadvocacy.org/about-asan/identity-first-language/ 
• Why we say “nonspeaking”/ “semispeaking”/ “unreliably speaking” instead of old-school labels like “non-verbal” or “selectively mute”:
  “Confusion in your mind about the term nonspeaking?” - I-ASC
  https://i-asc.org/confusion-in-your-mind-about-the-term-nonspeaking/ 
• Why “Aspergers” is no longer used (CW: holocaust, eugenics, medical abuse): Hans Asperger, National Socialism, and “race hygiene” in Nazi-era Vienna | Molecular Autism | Full Text 

Nonspeaking Autistic Experiences and Resistance in Their Own Words

Writing & videos by nonspeakers - the reliable source to learn about nonspeakers experiences:

• Damon Kirsebom is a BC-based writer, advocate, and student who creates videos and writes about how we can reframe the common conceptions of Autism. Damon Kirsebom - A True Influencer - I-ASC &  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtK9paFGUjc&
  
• William Tziavaras describes the way Autistic Nonspeakers experience educational and care settings when the adults around them don’t understand how Autism and Apraxia work, and how he developed methods of communication that allowed him to start sharing his thoughts with the world: Fleeing the world of silence - I-ASC 
• Jordyn Zimmerman has created a film and many resource pages about how nonspeakers move through and can thrive in our world - “This is Not About Me”
  AAC and autism resources | This Is Not About Me
• Hari Srinivasan is a wealth of knowledge and leadership: https://uniquelyhari.blogspot.com
  A long-form presentation by Hari about nonspeakers and Disability Justice: www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5Ky7kFT7SQ&ab_channel=HariSrinivasan 
  & Hari’s Berkeley commencement speech:
  www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES3VSf_0zJg&ab_channel=HariSrinivasan 
• Pablo Hernandez details misunderstandings and realities about nonspeakers’ lives on his blog: Not Too Trapped In My Head Anymore 
• Danny Whitty describes in exquisite detail the experiences of nonspeakers, the feeling of the ocean, and community building in his writing and poetry: Danny With Words
• An interview with Julia Griffith, a 13-yr-old nonspeaker using her power and words to advocate for better understanding: “Into the Dawn of Love’s Light” - I-ASC 
• A foundational short film by the incredible and deeply missed Mel Baggs,
  “In My Language” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnylM1hI2jc
• Another leader in the fight for nonspeakers’ liberation, Amy Sequenzia, has been fighting the oppression of nonspeakers and autistics in general for many years. Archive of some of Amy’s work: nonspeaking Archives • Ollibean 
• Zekwande Mathenjwa is a nonspeaking leader in South Africa - He has started the Zekwande Foundation to increase access to communication for nonspeakers. A video busting myths about nonspeakers: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKOLP8reEkQ
  The Foundation: www.facebook.com/AutisticSpeak/ & (@AutisticSpeak)

Apraxia & Motor Coordination: Frequently Ignored Co-Occuring Conditions

Behavioural Intervention marketing (and out-of-date practitioners/parents) often perpetuate the myth of “low function autism” or “severe/profound autism”; in reality, most autistics labeled this way have motor coordination barriers and processing styles which are misinterpreted as “low IQ” or incapacity due to pervasive ableist standards and inaccessible assessments.

• “Six Things You Should Know About Apraxia”
  Six Things You Should Know about Apraxia - I-ASC 
• “Motor problems in autistic people may be grossly underestimated” www.spectrumnews.org/news/motor-problems-in-autistic-people-may-be-grossly-underestimated/ 

Why do Autistic-led groups oppose the ABA/IBI industry?

• “Problematic and Traumatic: Why Nobody Needs ABA”
  https://autisticselfadvocatesagainstaba.wordpress.com/2020/04/13/problematic-and-traumatic-why-nobody-needs-aba/ 
• First-hand perspectives of Nonspeaking Autistic people who were put through ABA after being marked with the derogatory and false “low function” and “low IQ” labels. Many nonspeakers interviewed, sources linked. “Non-speaking autists’ thoughts on ABA”: Nonspeaking autists' experiences of ABA
• Autistic parent of Autistic kids Jules Edwards describes why “Applied Behaviour Analysis Is Abusive To Native Children”:
  Applied Behavior Analysis is abusive to Native children - IndianCountryToday
• Full explanation with lots of peer-reviewed research and personal stories (long!) “What’s Wrong With ABA?” [NDNDP]
  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AQtYc-fJ4rScKyfPw30BQPcjufB2gkkqLJhgxrltZkU

Archives of Info and Links

• Neuroclastic: Nonspeakers’ Work Archive
  https://neuroclastic.com/category/culture-identity/nonspeaker/ 
• Autistic Strategies Network: Nonspeakers’ Work Archive https://autisticstrategies.net/keyword/nonspeakers/ 
• Rooted In Rights: Autism and Neurodiversity https://rootedinrights.org/category/autism-and-neurodiversity/ 

Archives of Info and Links con’t

• Thinking Person’s Guide To Autism: Nonspeakers Tag
  TPGA: nonspeaking Archives
• Reframing Autism: Resources
  Reframing Autism | Celebrating & nurturing Autistic identity
• Therapist Neurodiversity Collective - Neurodivergent experts, researchers, and practitioners building educational resources: TNC: Education 
• Supporting Autistic Kids! (another resource doc by Lulu)
  Resources for Supporting Autistic Kids (google doc)

 
Groups Doing The Work:

• Neurodivergent Infinity Network of Educators of Ontario (NINE)
  https://sites.google.com/ddsb.ca/nine/ / https://twitter.com/nine_on_can 
• Autistics 4 Autistics Ontario
  https://a4aontario.com/policy-statements-reports/ /
• Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network
  https://awnnetwork.org/ 
• International Association for Spelling as Communication
  https://i-asc.org/ 
• Communication First
  https://communicationfirst.org/ 
• Autistic Self-Advocacy Network
  https://autisticadvocacy.org/
• Re-Storying Autism Collective
  https://www.restoryingautism.com/ 
• Autistics United Canada
  https://www.autisticsunitedca.org/ / https://twitter.com/AutisticsUnited 

Political Party Groups:

• Neurodivergent Labour (UK)
  https://ndlabour.co.uk/key-principles/ & https://ndlabour.co.uk/our-policies/ 
• Spectrum Labor (australia) - in process of re-naming to Neurodiverse Labor
  http://rcvmhs.archive.royalcommission.vic.gov.au/Spectrum_Labor.pdf