How Will This Learning Help Me?

There are so many reasons why learning from Autistics about Autistics has the potential to revolutionize your practice in terms of how you understand, interact with and become an active ally to Autistics. 

You want to make a difference, but typical professional development pathologizes Autistics. 

So much of the training most educators have received about Autism has been aligned to the Medical Model of Disability. This model is based on a deficit approach which views Autism as a disorder. With this in mind, you have likely come to this learning tool because you already recognize that much of what we have learned about Autistics in our educational careers hasn't really changed much in a while and you are looking for ways to actually make a difference for Autistics in your school, instead of pathologizing them.

You want Neurodiversity-aligned professional learning opportunities.      

Perhaps you have been doing your best to incorporate an understanding of Neurodiversity into your daily educational practice, because it seems to be embraced by your school board, but you are experiencing dissonance when trying to reconcile what you know about Autism in this context. After all, if all humans are included and valid within the natural diversity of human neurologies, sensory experiences and how we process the world around us, then why is it the default in Education to get Autistics to look, sound and act like non-Autistics? 

You are responsive educator who knows that representation matters; honouring identity matters.

Too often, Autistic identity is omitted from conversations about equity and diversity, as Autistics are commonly seen through the lens of a "special need", yet the denial of authentic Autistic identity plays a significant role in marginalizing us. This learning experience is designed to be "Neuro-affirming"; in other words, the content is aligned to Neurodiversity. Neurodiversity refers to the differences amongst human brains which impact how individuals receive information and process the world around them. There is no “correct” way for brains to work, but rather neuro-differences within the human species impact our lived experiences, all of which are valid. Neuro-affirming also means that the voices and perspectives of Autistics have been prioritized in the creation of this resource. 

You want to do better by challenging what you thought you knew. 

As a lifelong learner, you likely also want to understand Autistics better, so you can do better. This learning experience will help spark your inner dialogue, and illicit the need to unpack a lot of what you have previously learned about Autistics. The tools and resources have been created and organized to give you as much control over your own learning journey as possible so you can peel back the layers of your current knowledge and skills and decide, at your own pace, where to focus your learning.  

You want to equip yourself with essential and current knowledge, skills and resources so you can help shift thinking and practice.

You know allies take action. Becoming authentically informed by those with lived experience living Autistic lives is really all you need. There is a world of Autistics advocating for change in Education and beyond. In the spirit of "Nothing About Us Without Us":

1) all resources have been created by an Autistic educational leader who has done extensive unlearning as an educator, and co-learning as a member of the Autistic community, and in practice as a globally recognized Autistic advocate who is continually on a mission to broaden the Autistic narrative. 

2) the resources, tools and reference materials are primarily authored by Autistic researchers, authors, advocates, and educators; where any exception to this exists, the resources have been vetted by Autistic professionals. 

Join us and rediscover the world you thought you knew.