Mindshift in autism: a call to professionals in research, clinical, and educational settings

Public Deposited

Downloadable Content

Download PDF
Request Version for Screen Reader
Creator
  • McVey, Alana J.
    • Other Affiliation: University of Washington
  • Jones, Desiree R.
    • Other Affiliation: University of Texas at Dallas
  • Waisman, T. C.
    • Other Affiliation: Autism Training Academy
  • Raymaker, Dora M.
    • Other Affiliation: Portland State University
  • Nicolaidis, Christina
    • Other Affiliation: Portland State University
  • Maddox, Brenna B.
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
Abstract
  • Autistic people often have poor outcomes over the life course, including in health, education, employment, and community inclusion. Many professionals working with Autistic adults in research, clinical, and educational settings devote their careers to trying to improve such outcomes. However, we maintain that real progress cannot happen without a fundamental mindshift. The status quo for professionals is to view autism as an illness. Instead, the neurodiversity movement encourages us to value and embrace autism as an aspect of human diversity and asks us to view Autistic people as a marginalized group that experiences significant disparities. While some professionals may be adopting language and concepts from the neurodiversity movement, we argue that making this mindshift fundamentally changes our practice across research, clinical, and educational settings. In this perspective, we call on professionals to embrace this mindshift to reduce discrimination and stigma, halt the spread of harmful ideologies, and help Autistic adults live fulfilling lives.
Date of publication
Keyword
DOI
Identifier
Resource type
  • Article
License
  • Attribution 4.0 International
Journal title
  • Frontiers in Psychiatry
Language
  • English
Version
  • Publisher
ISSN
  • 1664-0640
Publisher
  • Frontiers Media SA

Relations

Parents:

This work has no parents.

In Collection:

Items

Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Visibility Actions
file details fpsyt-14-1251058.pdf 2023-09-06 Public Download