By:  Jeanette Armstrong

Armstrong in this article talks about true human identity and sanity comes from the "four capacities of the self": Emotional, spiritual, physical, intellectual, and spirit selfs'. She talks about how the Okanagan people see community, identity, and connection to the land is how we "share one skin" meaning were are all one body. It is also talked about how technology and isolation in modern society make people "heartless" and "disconnected". A message she is trying to tell is that to be truly human we must rebuild emotion, community, and connection. 

Armstrong, Jeanette. 1996 “Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community “ Pp. 460-470 in Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds.) The Case Against the Global Economy, San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books. 

By: Joe Suina

This article is about Joe Suina. He grew up in the pueblo of Cochiti with his grandmother who taught him stories, manners at cerimonies, close community, and simple daily life. At age 6 he began formal schooling. Joe is surrounded by a different environment, lighting, strict rules, smells, expectations and the english language. While attending school hes uncomfortable, and embarrassed at times. He grows older and leaves his village for BIA boarding school. Being away from home makes room for the "white ways" in his life. After going to school for most of his young developing years he returns home and realizes that his childhood home of simple native life does not feel like home anymore. It only reminds him of the times he felt at home, practiced his tradition, and where he originally came from.  Joe cannot return to how things were, he must learn to navigate both worlds even at the cost of his identity. 

Suina, Joe (1985). And then I went to school: Memories of a Pueblo childhood. New Mexico Journal of Reading, 5(2).

By: B. Toastie

Toastie talks about looking past colonial names printed on maps and signs. Instead imagine the deeper layers of story and memory of these lands. A loss of connection, and chance of rediscovery is behind every renamed mountain and valley, or river. Learning to honor Indigenous place names is learning to restore meaning. 

           Oaster, B. ‘., & Oaster, B. ‘. (2024a, January 24). How place names impact the way we see landscape. High Country News. https://www.hcn.org/issues/54-5/people-places-how-place-names-impact-the-way-we-see-landscape/

By: Steve Silberman, TED Talk 

The video I chose as one of my research articles is of Steve Silberman's talk on "The Forgotten History of Autism". In this TED Talk, he explains how autism is misunderstood not only to this day but for decades. The misunderstanding is in why the rise in diagnoses is not an "epidemic" but the result of better diagnostic criteria and more acceptance.  Silberman brings up harmful beliefs/stigma of autism that came from flawed research (ex, Andrew Wakefield) and society's failure to understand ASD (neurodiversity). Instead of seeing autism as something to be cured, he instead encourages people to see Autistic people as human beings with unique strengths and to support their needs.  Silberman believes that we can reduce stigma, increase inclusion, and create a respected and supported community for people with autism by understanding the real history of autism. 

            TED. (2015b, June 17). Steve Silberman: The forgotten history of autism [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MBiP3G2Pzc

Lightner, L. (2025, September 15). From 1975 to today: Why full funding of IDEA is long overdue. A Day in our Shoes. https://adayinourshoes.com/anniversary-idea-1975/

This article had many things to say about all my historical events. Different perspectives on autism contribute to diagnosis, treatments, and inclusion. It shows how autism has changed in the DSM. In DSM-III, Autism was for the first time recognized as its own diagnosis separate from schizophrenia. Later, DSM-IV gave us the SPECTRUM. It expanded the diagnoses, which included other related disorders such as aspergers syndrome and PDD. This allowed those with milder symptoms to be properly diagnosed. DSM-5 combined all the diagnoses into one category, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).  This change simplified and emphasized the criteria of autism and shows that autism is a spectrum, with different levels of support. These DSM updates helped shape the understanding of autism and are why diagnoses have increased over time.

A brief History and timeline of Autism | Advanced Autism Services. (n.d.). https://www.advancedautism.com/post/history-and-timeline-of-autism

From John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

This article talks about the stigma that "Vaccines Cause Autism" created by Andrew Wakefield. This accusation also caused a limit to healthcare by scaring parents, making them believe that vaccines caused autism. A paper illustrated by Andrew Wakefield was retracted because of the lack of a proper control group, cherry-picked cases, and other flaws. It is known that the age when children are given the MMR vaccine is also when some children regress into ASD. To this day, President Trump is making statements that vaccines cause autism. I believe it's important to know how the Andrew Wakefield study was dismissed and how he conducted his studies that tried to link the MMR vaccine to the cause of autism. 

           Vaccines don’t cause autism. Why do some people think they do? (2025, October 8). Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/the-evidence-on-vaccines-and-autism

This article explains how cuts to the federal staff of education oversight of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). While funding may still exist, fewer staff means less enforcement, increasing the risk that students with disabilities will not receive the services they are legally entitled to. These changes create uncertainty for families and schools that rely on federal guidance and accountability. 

Romig, Kathleen. "Trump Administration Threatens Support for Children with Disabilities." Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. October 21, 2025, 9:09 am. 

By: Helen Pearson 

This article explains that the rising autism diagnoses are mainly due to improved awareness, broader diagnostic criteria, and better screening. Scientists emphasize that autism is largely genetic and not linked to vaccines. The article highlights the importance of focusing on understanding, rather than trying to search for one single cause.

Pearson, Helen. "Autism is on the rise: what's really behind the increase?". Nature. Springer Nature Limited. 26 August 2025. 

Jiya Rai is a 16-year-old from England who became the youngest swimmer to swim the English Channel. She swam 34 kilometers in 17 hours and 25 minutes. The English Channel is known for its freezing temperatures and strong currents, and is one of the busiest shipping lanes. She was diagnosed with autism at age 2 and is nonverbal, but discovered her love of swimming at a young age. Her swim was dedicated to autism awareness, challenging stereotypes, and promoting it globally.  

Kanyeyachukwu Taago-Okeke is a teen from Nigeria who set a Ginea World Record for the largest painting on canvas. In his artwork, it featured an infinity symbol, which is the symbol used for autism. He aimed to raise awareness about autism challenges in Nigeria. Stigma and lack of support are common in Nigeria. The quote of his campaign emphasized that "impossibility is a myth". Taago-Okeke helped raise funds for the Zeebah Foundation, an autism support organization. 

These two articles connect to my SHP topic because they show how two individuals showcased their strengths and dedicated it to autism awareness. Jiya Ria's swim challenged the stereotype that people with autism can still achieve goals. To me, her message is for society to see autism as her strength rather than a disability. Kenyeyachukwu's painting emphasizes the importance of visibility and acceptance in Nigeria, where autism is misunderstood or stigmatized. Overall, these articles encourage the idea that with support, encouragement, and opportunities, individuals with autism can and will thrive.

1) Mumbai,PIB."16-year-old Jiya Ria Makes History as First Girl with Autism to Swim Across English Channel".30 July 2024 at 12:12 PM. Ministry of Defence

2) By Associated Press "Nigerian Teenager Sets World Painting Record with Canvas That's Bigger than a Soccer Field". May 2, 2025, 1:13 AM. About U.S. News. 

This article talks about World Autism Awareness Day, a video streamed each year on April 2nd to promote understanding, acceptance, and support for individuals on the autism spectrum. It describes how the United Nations established this day in 2007 to encourage global awareness of challenges within the autism community. It highlights the importance of inclusion and support for autistic individuals and their families. The article also discusses why raising awareness matters and encourages early policies and the celebration of the unique perspectives of autistic individuals. 

This article connects with my SHP topic because it focuses on awareness at a global level. It shows how awareness days help people learn accurate information, challenge stereotypes, and advocate for inclusive treatment and support for the autism community around the world. Autism Awareness Days also hightlights that awareness can evolve into acceptance, which aligns with my foal of making my community more informed, respectful and supportive of people with autism.

Parekh, Tejasvi. "World Autism Awareness Day: Meaning, Significance, and Celebration". Butterfly Learnings, Medically reviewed by Sonam Kothari. 26 Feb 2026.

By: N Aderinto 

This article is a review of research on autism in African countries. It talks about how common autism is in africa, how it's diagnosed, what treatments are use and available , and how social and cultural beleifs affect individuals with autism and their families. The estimated prevalence of autism is africa is similar to other countries but diagnoses and treatments are less available because of limited trained professinals, financial burdens and low public understandings. Cultural beleifs and stigma also mkae it harder for families to seek diagnosis and support. The article ends with emphasizing the need for more research, trainings for healthcare professionals, and for the government to do better in improving support for people with autism in Africa. 

This article connects to my topic because it is based on the role of awareness and recognizing the lack of support in Africa. In African communities, there is low awareness and cultural limits to diagnosis and care. This lack of support directly affects how families cope. Learning about these challenges helps me understand how important awareness campaigns are globally. It also talks about how awareness is not just about knowing what autism is, but it's about how communities can create inclusive environments for people with autism and support families. 

Aderinto, Nicholas. "Autism in Africa: Prevalence, Diagnosis, Treatment and the Impact of Social and Cultural Factors on Families and Caretakers: A Review". Annals of Medicine and Surgery, vol. 85, 24 July 2023, pg. 4410-4416.  

My first action plan, “Awareness Starts at Home: A family project”, focused on spreading autism awareness within my own family. During this activity, my family and I read and discussed quotes showing stigma towards autism said by public figures. This allowed everyone to reflect on what they knew, what surprised them, and how their perspectives changed. We then worked together to create a poster that included meaningful words like patience, acceptance, and love, along with symbols of support or personal action statements. My family did my action plan with an open mind and wanted to learn about autism so they could support me through it. This activity helped my family connect emotionally to the topic and better understand how to support individuals with autism. Overall, it strengthened awareness at home and encouraged my family to continue to learn about autism so they can advocate for those who have autism in my community. Also, it showed that small conversations can lead to a bigger understanding and change.