The Autistic Me

Every year on March 1, the disability community gathers across the nation to remember disabled victims of filicide–disabled people murdered by their family members or caregivers. Filicide, the murder by one's parents, is one of the top three causes of death in children under five. It is one of the top five overall causes of death among all children and teens. Autistic children are particularly vulnerable, as parents use the “trauma” of having an autistic child as a legal defense.  Encounters with police can also be dangerous for autistics, especially autistic persons of color. Individuals with a mental illness, including autism, are 16 times more likely to die during an encounter with police, the highest of any group studied. From 2013 through 2015, data show half of the police encounter deaths were people with mental illnesses or cognitive differences. https://autismmemorial.wordpress.com https://disability-memorial.org https://autisticadvocacy....

Daddy tends to be a pushover when the girls ask to learn. This time, they wanted to learn how the podcasting gear works. So, we set up the Zoom R16, three microphones, and off we went. This episode is the product of our 90 minutes of learning together.  The girls discuss sensory processing, ADHD, therapeutic supports, and school. The classroom "wiggle tables" still upset me. Public school wasn't always working for the girls.  The Autistic Me: Blog:  https://www.tameri.com/autisticme/ Podcast:  https://autisticme.libsyn.com/ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/autisticme/ Twitter:  https://twitter.com/autisticme YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/CSWyatt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autisticme   Check out this episode!

Peter Joseph Gloviczki is the author of three collections of poetry: the weight of dandelions (Salmon Poetry, 2019), American Paprika (Salmon Poetry, 2016) and Kicking Gravity (Salmon Poetry, 2013). His fourth collection, What's Left to the Imagination is Everything, is forthcoming from Salmon Poetry in 2023. His poems have appeared in Beloit Poetry Journal, Hayden's Ferry Review, New Orleans Review and elsewhere. Additional Links: https://youtu.be/PD2_uKaugPI  - Amanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor_Mali  - Taylor Mali, Slam Poet https://youtu.be/WKoVNqjNqtY  - The Power of Poetry, with Helena Bonham Carter https://youtu.be/8cKDOGhghMU  - Langston Hughes reads The Negro Speaks of Rivers http://www.djsavarese.com  - David James Savarese, Autistic Poet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Oliver  - Mary Oliver, National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize recipient https://amzn.to/3cWHSnI  - Autism and Represe...

Roy Richard Grinker is a Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs at George Washington University. His books include Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism . I met Dr. Grinker in May of 2007 while he was promoting  Unstrange Minds , my favorite book on autism's history. The opportunity to speak to him about his new work,  Nobody's Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness was an honor. Press Release:  Approximately twenty percent of all American adults—around 60 million people—live with a mental illness. But due to the lingering legacy of shame and secrecy around mental health, sixty percent of them receive no treatment. In NOBODY’S NORMAL: HOW CULTURE CREATED THE STIGMA OF MENTAL ILLNESS, anthropologist and professor Roy Richard Grinker chronicles the progress and setbacks in the struggle against stigma, from the 18th century through America’s major wars and into today’s high-tech economy In this uplifting book, infused with poi...