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‘Expensive’ is such a great word for speech. In many situations I can make words work, but the energy cost can be catastrophic. Places with loud background music or other people talking nearby are good examples. Zoom meeting with audio lag etc.

As if ABA and genAI weren't bad enough as it is, the pair together offer a new, horrorshow way to comprehend the dehumanizing frameworks

"Estados Unidos se ha vuelto muy bueno en el gesto de la inclusión y muy cómodo con la sustancia del abandono. Muy a menudo, ejecutamos lo primero con bastante ruido para acallar lo segundo."

One of our favorite apps is Proloquo4Text, which is often used by people who have lost speech but have the motor skills to select letters/predictive phrases. More info: www.assistiveware.com/products/pro...

There is a lot of space between being nonspeaking & being able to communicate in socially expected ways. @yesthattoo.bsky.social explains how intermittent, unreliable, insufficient & expensive speech help describe the space between nonspeaking & fully speaking: www.assistiveware.com/blog/intermi...

"We must not trade disabled peoples’ lives in exchange for tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. And we must not sacrifice all of the progress the U.S. has made." -Steve Way time.com/article/2026...

We have so little research on autism and aging, glad to see this: “Social connectedness may play a key role in shaping QoL for autistic adults as they age. Tailored, lifespan-focused support is needed to promote sustained social connection and foster well-being.” kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/pu...

Parent perspective: Our autistic loved ones and families need more respite, and better paid respite workers. Not only so that parents and caregivers can work and take care of themselves, but also so that autistic children and adults get needed breaks, too: www.squidalicious.com/2026/03/my-c...

"People deserve to be understood long before distress becomes impossible to ignore. When we take time to know the person, notice the quieter signs, & build lives filled w/purpose, belonging, & genuine relationships, challenging behavior often becomes less necessary." @openfuturelearning.bsky.social

A personal note from me as prelude to this week's newsletter:

Our newsletter is back from hiatus! Today @ejwillingham.bsky.social takes exception to the Autism Science Foundation (ASF) & its coldly manipulative attempt to convince the autism community that ABA therapy is "nicer" now. (Spoiler: It is not.) Pls share & subscribe! buttondown.com/TPGA/archive...

We do not trust the group "SLPs Against Pseudoscience." We do not trust professionals whose livelihoods depend on people with communication disabilities, but who want to silence those same people under the guise of "protecting" them—while scaring parents away from exploring communication options.

"People deserve to be understood long before distress becomes impossible to ignore. When we take time to know the person, notice the quieter signs, & build lives filled w/purpose, belonging, & genuine relationships, challenging behavior often becomes less necessary." @openfuturelearning.bsky.social

The evidence has not changed: Vaccines have nothing to do with autism, and they help keep autistic children healthy. What has changed: Anti-vaxxer RFK Jr. now oversees the CDC, so their guidance on vaccines is no longer reliable. #VaccinesWork #autism #neurodiversity

Autistic people’s own accounts of friendship as "meaningful, sustaining, and deeply valued" contradict assumptions about autistic relationships as "fragile, shallow, or inherently lacking." New research: journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1... #autism #neurodiversity

We do not trust the group "SLPs Against Pseudoscience." We do not trust professionals whose livelihoods depend on people with communication disabilities, but who want to silence those same people under the guise of "protecting" them—while scaring parents away from exploring communication options.

Our progressive thought-shapers need to stop treating autism and disability as rare and tragic exceptions, instead of commonplace, both now and throughout history. Parents-to-be need to be aware that autism is a possibility they can prepare for, not a tragedy. #autism #parenting #neurodiversity

It's the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA was won through decades of organizing by disabled people, parents, advocates, attorneys + allies. We're proud to have been part of that history + continue to defend the rights the ADA secured. dredf.org/the-making-o...

Being mad at an autistic person whose experience is different from your experience is like being mad at the moon. It wastes your energy, and it doesn't help anyone. Instead, connect with people who are helpful, and ignore people who aren't helpful. Trust us. We know things. #autism #neurodiversity

"ABA language is becoming softer & fluffier as public awareness of the harmful outcomes of this treatment, especially those described by Autistic people who endured it, continues to grow. But the expectation of normalization thru rewards & punishments has not changed." By @julierob-tndc.bsky.social.