Autism and LGBTQ+ Identities

Sharing midterm paper by student in my 1:54 Autism Class. 

Midterm Paper 

Psych 198

Tiffy Brailow

Autism and LGBTQ+ Identities Intersecting

Autism Spectrum Disorder intersects with a vast amount of other identities. One intersection that has interested me the most is being Autistic and identifying as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Many studies have suggested that the rate of identifying as LGBTQ+ and being Autistic is significantly higher than the rate in the general population. Specifically, “‘Most of the data that we’re seeing is that [the LGB rate] is two to three times higher,’ says clinical psychologist Eileen T. Crehan.” There is a large amount of information available on the LGBTQ+ Autistic community because of the high rates of these intersecting identities.

I found many similarities within the experiences of Autistic LGBTQ+ people. One similarity seems to be that people with both of these identities tend to know or find out that they are autistic before they figure out their sexuality. My interpretation of this is that this may be the case because people tend to prioritize their social interactions with others and the experiences of day to day life before they prioritize sexual attraction. Some LGBTQ+ Autistics explain that they were delayed in recognizing their sexuality because they had a hard time getting in touch with their own feelings and did not do much introspection in their younger years. Another similarity between multiple people’s experiences from this community that I found is that many feel that their Autistic identity and their LGBTQ+ identity go hand in hand. Justin, an Autistic gay man, explains this perspective: “The intersection between being queer and being autistic is that we don’t want to be altered. We don’t want to be cured of who we are. Our worth doesn’t derive
from seeming ‘normal.’” I think that this is quite a beautiful way of thinking about one’s identity
and I can most definitely see why this is a common perspective among Autistic LGBTQ+ people.
There seems to be multiple advantages of being Autistic and LGBTQ+. One advantage is that Autistic people say that their experience within the LGBTQ+ community has been a mostly positive one. Tom Moran, an autistic gay man, stated “Generally, autistic people and those with disabilities are really well received and accepted in LGBTQ+ spaces.” While there are definitely bad apples, like there are in any community, overall it seems that the LGBTQ+ community is generally accepting of those from all different walks of life. This is great that Autistic LGBTQ+ people have a positive and safe space within a community. Additionally, there are many support groups and resources for LGBTQ+ Autistic people. There is most definitely access for LGBTQ+ Autistic people to find support and people with similar experiences as them, which I am sure is a comforting feeling.

One aspect of being a part of the LGBTQ+ community while being Autistic is celebrating Pride. The Pride celebration is very overstimulating, loud, and overwhelming for some Autistic  Pride. The Pride celebration is very overstimulating, loud, and overwhelming for some Autistic people. While the LGBTQ+ community is generally accepting, it is important that they make sure there are comforting spaces in these celebrations for Autistic people. From personal experience I can say that while Pride does tend to be inclusive, there are some hiccups here and there. For example, my sister (who uses a walker for mobility assistance) was not able to get through all parts of our most recent Pride celebration because grass was a part of some of the trails within the exhibit. So while there is a general acceptance and love towards every different type of person within the LGBTQ+ community, there are some things that they could do better to be more inclusive.

There are most definitely some disadvantages to being Autistic and identifying as LGBTQ+. From experiences that I have read about, it seems that sometimes being Autistic and part of the LGBTQ+ community go hand in hand but other times, they do not. Generally speaking, people are more well-versed in how to be inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community than they are knowledgeable about how to be inclusive of the Autistic community. Tom Moran also spoke about this issue and stated “You feel accepted for one side of your identity, but the autistic part of your identity is perhaps less recognized or understood.” Another disadvantage is that people part of both of these communities have to deal with discrimination from having both identities. People are bigoted towards LGBTQ+ people but people are also bigoted towards Autistics. Having to face multiple forms of discrimination is a very hard experience. However,
some Autistics state that a good way to deal with this is by having pride in both of your
identities.

There are many things that people can do to assist the Autistic LGBTQ+ community. One of these things is by providing better sex education. A survey done by Eileen Crehan, an assistant professor of child study and human development, found that “autistic people want information about sexual orientation and gender identity more than typical people do.” Additionally, research has shown that LGBTQ+ youth have better mental health when they are provided with more inclusive sex education. Creating and providing sex education that is inclusive of LGBTQ+ would overall have a positive effect. Another thing that people can do to help the LGBTQ+Autistic community is by being an ally. Provide support for your friends or acquaintances that are LGBTQ+ and Autistic. Celebrate their identity. Get informed on the issues relevant to the community and try to help them feel a sense of belonging. Lastly, people can continue to further the research and information that is available about this group. Awareness of LGBTQ+ Autistic people is key to more people being more understanding.

Overall, being LGBTQ+ and Autistic has its advantages and disadvantages. This is a prevalent group that should be recognized and celebrated. It is important for LGBTQ+ Autistic people to have support and resources. As a society, there is much we can do to improve and assist the LGBTQ+ Autistic community. Hopefully, there will be much more acceptance of the LGBTQ+ Autistic community in the future as awareness grows.

Being Autistic as a Minority

 Sharing Art made by students in my 1:54 Autism Class

Image Credit: George Chukwueke

Takeaways from Class

 Student Takeaways from my 1:54 Autism Class (3/10)

• One takeaway from the Special Interests student lecture was that special interests, although people may spend a lot of time on them, can help people with autism process other social structures or processes that are usually difficult to understand for autistic people.
• There are lots of ways to combat stigma, especially by humanizing stigmatized groups.
• Education alone is not the answer to societal issues. I found the study where they educate students and it only moved them to further socially distance themselves. I find that interesting and I like the example because it reinforces the idea that human connection, building empathy, is really what is important.
• Special interests can be a really positive thing for autistic people to use to understand the world and benefit others for jobs/hobbies.
• loved the presentation on Autistic refugees and the presentation on Autistics and Special interests was so illuminating and fun!
• There can be many different things that affect autistic peoples lives (such as forceful displacement and special interests), and it’s important to consider these when talking about autism.
• One takeaway is that sometimes if school-aged children and young adults are educated on different mental illnesses, it causes them to social distance more from people with mental illnesses. This illustrates the need to educate in a humanizing way that is focused on sharing stories, rather than giving cold facts.

Research Awe I am in total Awe

LOL!!

 

Autistic Special Interests

Sharing a student presentation from my 1:54 Autism class on autistic special interests.

Thank you Jay Maytorena, Jordan Bermender, Myr Le, Sophia Zaleski

Here is the youtube link https://youtu.be/IKKFjf8sNT8 & here are the slides below

Forced from Home, Refugees & Autism

Sharing a student presentation from my 1:54 Autism class on a very important topic. We hear about the millions of refugees that are displaced the world over due to conflicts and other crisis. What we don't realize is that many could be autistic (or have other disabilities), which means the trauma of displacement, loss and war compounds many of the issues of autism. 

Thank you Emma Zhao and Tiffy Barlow for an thoughtful and insightful presentation

Here is the youtube link of the presentation https://youtu.be/GPJ2EwkZAaU

Slides are below. 

Syria is a Middle Eastern country that shares borders with several nations, including Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey (Central Intelligence Agency [CIA], 2021). Syria gained independence from the French in 1945 and has undergone political turmoil since. Syria’s official language is Arabic and is home to just under 20 million people, 87% of which are Muslim (CIA, 2021).

The Syrian crisis emerged due to various factors. We do know that there was a single event that lit the spark.

A group of citizens were violently beat after participating in graffiti, major protests formed in reaction and escalated into armed force from the Syrian government and the establishment of rebel groups to combat them (Musarurwa & Kaye, 2017).

Syria was home to a well-established educational system and a wealth of resources pre-crisis, but daily life for its citizens was quickly derailed by the conflict.

Despite extensive coverage via various media outlets regarding the Syrian crisis, the impact of the crisis on refugees is an understudied topic. According to statistics published by UNHCR, “At the end of 2018, Syrians still made up the largest forcibly displaced population”.
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The Syrian crisis has produced trauma in the form of violence, death, execution, torture, and displacement, which negatively impacts the mental health of Syrians

Syrian refugees experienced tensions between gratefulness in being afforded a safe enriching home and challenges with the process of resettlement that posed unique stressors to their overall wellbeing.

Syrian refugee children are faced with the challenge of adjusting to the social and cultural atmosphere of their new homes

Refugee children will experience many challenges.

“The Syrian kids went through real fear from the war. Professionals who work autistic children who have experienced the terrors of war need to consider this factor.

they should recognize that the kids are not only autistic, they also experienced atrocities and war.

PTSD in children can manifest like aggravated behavior or increased fear on a day to day basis. For autistic children, they may have also suffered as their parents lost some resources like supports and services during wartime.

Some autistic children who have communication barriers cannot even express their fear to heal from it. This can mask their fears, inner emotions, and complex feelings.

these emotions must be processed for a child to function healthily. Professionals are now looking to address the war for autistic Syrian kids, but this is an area of continued need

Even relocation is difficult

Some refugee children will experience learning and understanding new language, like English. An autism diagnosis typically contributes to a unique learning profile, which can make it hard to keep pace with their peers. Being in an entirely new country is a huge adjustment, and can leave these kids feeling alien and misunderstood.

Western models emphasizes trauma labels, which is often incompatible with and actually undermines the resilience that many refugee populations display.

Even when refugees acknowledge their trauma, they will typically reject the notion that this trauma overshadows their experiences or prevents them from contributing to society.

Service providers need to be more aware of this trauma narrative and explore the needs of refugees on an individual basis instead of overgeneralizing the traditional western mental health model

“refugee people within a deficit or pathology framework”

Promote flexibility & incorporate coping techniques rooted in cultural/religious practices. We can capitalize on “existing strengths (e.g., support of family and community) and existing coping strategies (e.g., meditation or singing songs)

However, clinicians in particular should also be recognize of the limits in their cultural knowledge through embracing cultural humility,

War can adversely impact autistic children who have social communication or cognitive impairments, which can lead to exacerbated responses to crisis conditions.

In fact, “prolonged exposure to extreme trauma, stress, and uncertainty has significant impacts on mental health outcomes for all children and adolescents. Toxic stress has been found to impact neurological functioning and disrupt brain development.

This obviously will intersect with the experiences of children on the autism spectrum since autism is a neurodevelopmental condition.


We also know that when parents receive their child’s autism diagnosis, they often experiencing intense emotions, both positive and negative. However, parents who are refugees will face with war, resettlement, and seeking asylum.

For example, in canada

Syrian refugee parents found they were limited by financial capacity, linguistic capacity, awareness of a new country’s health and educational systems, and “fear of deportation”

As a result, refugee children are more likely to be diagnosed later in development and not receive early intervention

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However, based on anecdotes from the study from a young mother Jenny, with a 5-year old son diagnosed with ASD,

Relocating was still a largely positive experience Jenny and her family faced with perceptions of autism in Syria and Lebanon. In fact, Jenny recalled that her children had negative societal experiences, “They[‘re] dealt with in a very negative way. They’re not accepted in the society” (00:53:22).”

their experiences with autism in Syria and Lebanon were characterized by discrimination, autism not being understood, their needs not being met, and a lack of accessibility to initiate services. She thinks her children are now “ happier” (00:45:56) being away from the discrimination that they experienced in Syria and Lebanon.

Research suggests differences in the diagnostic understanding, support acquisition, and service use among diverse, minority, and/or migrant populations

Although there are many nuances to understand what service and support mean, because they are based in context, we’re going to describe it as a method of providing help where professionals work directly with children or families

On the other hand, supports are typically provided to child or family so that the clinically impacted person can continue to help themselves

The two work hand in hand.

Family, social, and community supports are pivotal to how Syrian refugee parents experienced ease or difficulty in their resettlement, which impacts their adjustment process.

Research has shown that increasing relational supports to incoming refugees can bolster their resettlement experience and enhance their support and service acquisition through obtaining information from other

Est. 75 million people with ASD according to CDC

The issue is often silenced but it affects a massive group of people

Today we focused on Syria, but as we all know, there are many refugees now coming out of Ukraine. We can only wait to hear about how children, parents, people of color, and people with disabilities fare during a time of crisis. But for now, we encourage everybody to support the refugees to get to safety as soon as possible!

 

Technology Needs

More Art from students in my 1:54 Autism Class. 

 

Autism in the Workplace

 Sharing Art made by students in my 1:54 Autism Class.  Much work in needed on the employment front for autistics. 

Image Credit: Kalina Elliot. 

Text says "Autism in the Workplace"

We're not broken - Eric Garcia

 Got interviewed for this for this book by Eric Garcia. Some excerpts where I'm mentioned are below. 

I was again referenced in the context of this book 

• Time Magazine Article, 8/27/21 

• The Next Big Idea Club 9/14/21
• The Art of Autism 1/8/22
• Webinar: Livermore Public Library, 3/7/22 (start time 24:11) 

Excerpts from the book

Tweet 4/2/23

Hearing from Former Students

 A blast from last semester

Hey Hari,

I just heard your voice 'in the wild' and it reminded me of you. I hope you're doing well.


I took your class last semester and I wanted to thank you again for how great it was -- it really helped put me in touch with my own autism, which I'm only realizing much later. It was really eye-opening and I owe you that.

The true ratio

 Sharing art from students in my 1:54 Autism Class

Image Credit Emma Zhao

Text on image says: 

- Men are 4x more likely to be diagnosed with ASD than women

- the true ration is very different. Women with autism tend to present in ways unlike men, but the modern diagnostic model of autism is based on males. 

Patience

Sharing Art made by students in my 1:54 Autism Class. 

Image Credit: Tiffany Brailow

Text on image says

Autism Spectrum Disorder

What we learned today

• There are many new technologies that are made to assist non-speaking autistics (such as text to speech programs)
• Finding meaningful work in the workforce as a person on the spectrum is sometimes hard but its still achievable!
• Being patient with finding work as someone on the spectrum is key!