April 2019

Life Through the Lens of Autism

Can All People be: ‘a Little Autistic’? By Lisa Morgan

April 9, 2019 Spectrum Women

A lot of people have told me they are “a little autistic”. It’s usually when I’m losing my mask of “normalcy” because of a change, a sensory overload, or from socializing. I’m reaching out for help by disclosing my autism to a person I’ve deemed safe to help me find a place to regulate and get my mask back on before I really start melting down. Then they say – they are a little autistic too, or – isn’t everyone a little autistic? And, I know I’ve been completely misunderstood… again. Can all people be ‘a little autistic’? A couple […]

Autism April

Part 3: Spectrum Women April Collaboration – Awareness, Acceptance, and Action!

April 8, 2019 Spectrum Women

In the third and final part of our three-part series, we have more unique thoughts from Spectrum Women on awareness, acceptance and action. Jen Elcheson – from the point of view of true awareness, self-acceptance, and ways we can all be active. There was a time, much like there is for most people new to autism, when I was not aware of autism, even though I had been given the professional identification! Of course there was not much information at that time and I was heavily in denial. I finally learned to accept my neurodivergence in my mid 20’s as […]

Book Releases

Spectrum Women Interview Series with Jen Elcheson: Camouflage by Dr. Sarah Bargiela, Illustrated by Sophie Standing

April 7, 2019 Spectrum Women

Interview by Jen Elcheson, Spectrum Women Sections Editor, Feature Writer, Interviewer Camouflage is a Jessica Kingsley Publishers (JKP) new release this year in the ever growing literature on autism in girls, women, and gender-non-conforming people. Are you or someone you love newly diagnosed and don’t know where to begin, what book to start with, and looking for an informative, user friendly basic primer on how autism can present in girls and women? Are you a clinician who is brushing up on your research? Look no further! This accessible easy to read book is a great starting point of reference on […]

Autism April

Part 2: Awareness, Acceptance, and Action!- Awareness at the Key to Self by Dena Gassner

April 4, 2019 Spectrum Women

The second part of our series for Autism Awareness month features Dena Gassner with a clever twist on awareness and acceptance from a personal point of view. Awareness at the Key to Self When we think about Autism Awareness Month, we often think about Awareness as an outside force for assistance. But for me, the most impactful “awareness” has come with introspectively coming to “awareness” and “acceptance” of my own autistic identity. For most of us, we develop suspicious inklings about our identity in an isolated circumstance-we don’t know other autistics, we may not have heard about it or our […]

Autism April

Part One: Spectrum Women April Collaboration – Awareness, Acceptance, and Action!

April 1, 2019 Spectrum Women

A three part series by Spectrum Women – Lisa Morgan, Maura Campbell, Jen Elcheson, Dena Gassner, Christine Jenkins, Terri Mayne, Liane Holliday Willey, and Yenn Purkis Lisa Morgan writes: April is upon us once again, with April 2nd being the day the world will “Light it up Blue”. People will be talking about autism awareness. The world seems to be aware of autism, but celebrating what the color blue stands for shows the world is not aware of autistic people. Autistic people are not in favor of “Lighting it up Blue” or anything that color stands for that day A […]