autism resources
background: as one of the lucky adults who realized during early covid lockdown that i've been autistic this whole time, i've spent the past few years slowly amassing a trove of digital resources around the Adult Autistic Experience (tm). this list will be updated whenever i read or watch something new. send suggestions to lynnepeskoeyang at protonmail dot com!
introduction (so you think you might be autistic)
youtube creators (links are to beginner-friendly videos)
- tiktok gave me autism: the politics of self-diagnosis - alexander avila. a beautifully written video essay on who "gets" to call themselves autistic and why so many people want to reflexively gatekeep the label and others like it. this creator has an ethereal ability to defuse really painful topics with surreal, self-deprecating humor (and the research chops to back it all up when necessary).
- autistic person watches autistic tiktoks - i'm autistic, now what?: there are millions of these online. i find them soothing because they're such an easy way in to the conversation about what autistic people are experiencing and how the conversation changes in real time.
- 5 signs you might have autism and adhd - yo samdy sam. i'm very biased in favor of this creator because she and i have so much in common (shout out to other autistic hyperlexic moms with adhd!). her content is mostly based on her own experiences but she has the additional perspective of a psychology degree and research experience, both of which help her to ground her experiences in science.
- autistic black woman is late diagnosed - autisticallykofi. a very honest vlog-style series in which a late-diagnosed creator shares her journey of growing into her diagnosis, reflecting on her undiagnosed childhood, and integrating her innate drive toward justice with her career as an attorney. the creator makes an effort not to mask while filming, which makes for an especially intimate viewing experience.
- the problem with applied behavioral analysis - chloe everett. "Imagine not being allowed to do harmless things, such as tapping your foot to express happiness. This is the reality that many people on the autism spectrum face, and it has a name: applied behavioral analysis. Autistic activists and their allies have long spoken out against this therapy, and science is finally beginning to back their claims."
- how to uncover your stims - irene c. a good overview of stimming (self-stimulation as a soothing or self-regulating action), neurodivergent sensory experiences, and the skill of using stims intentionally to protect your mental health or deal with your emotions. this creator is also a neurodivergence coach who specializes in helping late-diagnosed neurodivergent people learn to take care of themselves again.
- autistic women reveal the truth about high masking - autism from the inside. a panel of five autistic women of different ages and nationalities discuss their experiences with masking in their education, careers, and social lives. the conversation is moderated by another great autism vlogger, paul micallef.
further reading
books
- the secret life of a black aspie: a memoir, by anand prahlad
- strong female character, by fern brady (also a memoir)
- unmasking autism: discovering the new faces of neurodiversity by devon price. (unpacks the latest science on what autism actually is. extremely readable and fascinating. everyone should read this one)
- we're not broken: changing the autism conversation by eric garcia. interviews with an incredibly diverse (no, really!) cast of autistic people from the US, conducted by an excellent investigator who is also autistic. (from the introduction: "This book is a message from autistic people to their parents, friends, teachers, coworkers and doctors showing what life is like on the spectrum. It's also my love letter to autistic people.")
- i will die on this hill: autistic adults, autism parents, and the children who deserve a better world, by meghan ashburn and jules edwards. this book is addressed directly at the gap in understanding between today's autistic adults seeking advocacy and self-determination and the caregivers of autistic children. author meghan ashburn is a neurotypical parent of two autistic children, while jules edwards is an autistic parent of autistic children.
- Approaching Autistic Adulthood: The Road Less Travelled by Grace Liu
- Spectrums: Autistic Trans People in Their Own Words edited by Maxfield Sparrow
- The Autism Friendly Cook Book by Lydia Wilkins
- Sensory: Life on the Spectrum organized and edited by Schnumm
- Sincerely, Your Autistic Child: What People on the Autism Spectrum Wish Their Parents Knew About Growing Up, Acceptance, and Identity edited by Emily Page Ballou, Sharon daVanport, and Morénike Giwa Onaiwu
- Connecting with the Autism Spectrum: How to Talk, how to Listen, and Why you Shouldn't Call it High-Functioning by Casey "Remrov" Vormer
- Living with PTSD on the Autism Spectrum: Insightful Analysis with Practical Applications by Lisa Morgan, M.ED. and Mary P. Donahue, PH.D.
- Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity by Steve Silberman
- The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida
articles & blog posts
getting involved