Psychology Today

Another way to look at autism, neurodiversity, and how we face diversity as a society and as individuals.

April is autism month. For some it's about acceptance. For other's its about awareness. Some want a cure and others just want to be left alone. And What about neurodiversity?

Attitudes about autism vary greatly around the world.

Were the ancient calendars a product of early autistic thinkers? If so, is that one more example of their place in the early churches, guiding humanity?

Many identify with Asperger's syndrome, a part of the Autism Spectrum. New revelations that Dr. Asperger may have participated in murder in WWII cast doubt on his legacy.

There's a new book on neurodiversity - Neurotribes by Steve Silberman. And there's another one coming in a few months-In A Different Key from John Donvan and Caren Zucker. The books are putting neurodiversity in the news, and some say we're whitewashing the true nature of autism. As an autistic adult with an autistic son, I offer a dissenting view and inside perspective

We can forgive those who harm us, but we can't forgive those who kill us.

I write and speak a lot about what neurodiversity is, and what it means for society and for individuals and families. My thinking has evolved over the years in conversation with colleagues and friends in the advocacy, scientific, and higher education communities. Here's a new essay I've written to celebrate Autism Acceptance 2015

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are on the cusp of reading minds, as they use a sophisticated MRI scanner to read and recognize emotions in subject's minds with striking accuracy. Even more significantly, they separate autistic from non-autistic subjects with 97% accuracy with nothing more than a few minutes in a scanner.

More and more, the words I'm autistic signify pride in neurodiversity, and membership in a previously unrecognized but substantial community. It's not to be taken lightly.

Is the potential for early intervention becoming "too early" for a truly informed decision on the nature and purpose of the therapy?

What do the latest autism statistics really mean? Are they evidence of an epidemic, or signs of an unrecognized community that's finally coming into its own? Autistic author John Elder Robison shares his thoughts on autism's place in the world, and autistic humanity's role in society. Take a read, and tell us what you think.

Thoughts on changes to the autism spectrum definition, the place of Asperger's, the value of DSM5, and Hanna Rosin's recent Atlantic piece, "Letting Go of Asperger's."

Neurodiversity—the idea that conditions like autism and ADHD are natural parts of humanity and not diseases to be cured—is a contentious topic. In this essay I offer what neurodiversity means to me—an adult with autism—and ask what it means for you.