The Fortune Article showing on Yahoo Finance!!
A better mousetrap is not the solution to communication
NIH came out with this NIOS. I understand this as translating to ton of funding. https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-DC-23-009.html Lot of excitement but everyone thinks it boils down to making better AAC devices. But they are kind of still missing the point.
In fact at a recent large conf, it was all about lets have more AAC, and we need to standardize AAC - folks all excited. Like, Voila, with better AAC, all the communication issues magic away (lots of sarcasm intended) in the minimal speaking autistics. My other takeaway at that conf was that specific groups want to be the monopoly and authority, power jockey, in a future $$$ app that all school districts will be required to buy and it will be applied willy nilly across the board.
I agree that making better AAC devices is important, current landscape is not user-friendly at all which makes them un-motivating to use. You have all these confusing screens you have to navigate and funny looking icons, or if its text based, phrase completion is a mess and so many other issues etc. etc. So many times, its easier to just not have to navigate it (and communicate) unless you have to. And a $$$ yearly subscription based model feels like someone is holding your tongue hostage for money. I wish the NT population gets to experience what that feels like.
However the bigger point that folks are missing is that just plopping a better mousetrap (better AAC) in front of an autistic with significant movement/ sensory / somatosensory / body schema issues does not make for effective or faster use of AAC (even the most sophisticated one).
Building a better mousetrap is a metaphor that is often used ironically to convey the idea that creating a superior product or solution does not guarantee automatic success
We need to also be looking trying to understand the underlying physiological and sensory issues - what’s going on, and then trying to support it and individualize it, whether its medical or technology. If the body is better put together, it can automatically handle the better AAC so much more efficiently.
You only need to communicate some of your waking hours but you need to be dealing with your crazy body every waking movement (and sometimes during sleeping hours too). A more organized body will help on so many fronts. Communication is just the tip of iceberg for the minimal speaking group.
Flexible Work
The importance of remote and hybrid options.
In the piece, Hari discusses the arguments now being made to roll back remote work options developed during the Covid-19 pandemic, arguing that the reasons given for the roll-back are similar to those made for other accessibility accommodations in the past. Hari points out the irony that remote work was often seen as impossible before the pandemic, but overnight became feasible: "Pre-pandemic, we had been told that it was not possible or not financially viable. Yet these models ironically became "convenient" and "financially viable" overnight when the non-disabled world needed them."
He details the importance of remote work options (including hybrid conferences) for disabled and neurodiverse individuals.
The article, in its entirety, can be found here: https://ow.ly/pXXN50Pnk8l
#Neurodiversity #ASD #Disability #Autism #Access #Hybrid #RemoteWork #Accessibility #Equity #ADA
#Neurodiversity #ASD #Disability #Autism #Access #Hybrid #RemoteWork #Accessibility #Equity #ADA
My Op-Ed in Fortune on Hybrid as Accommodation
Feedback on this article
Well said! I think you bring up important factor of hybrid work environments. I think that due to the pandemic and the proof that hybrid works and happens. I think a strong argument could be made for hybrid a ‘reasonable’ accommodation.
Hari! Great article highlighting an important issue that is impacting workplaces and activities like conferences nationwide. I will share with colleagues who are working on this issue.
Well done, again!
Wonderful article, Hari! Thank you! I shared it with my husband, who is a business owner and has chosen to keep the company remote post-pandemic. And I shared it with my son, who is a neurodiverse activist who has many friends with a range of neurodiversities. Really appreciate you publishing your perspective.
Hari! Great article highlighting an important issue that is impacting workplaces and activities like conferences nationwide. I will share with colleagues who are working on this issue.
Well done, again!
Wonderful article, Hari! Thank you! I shared it with my husband, who is a business owner and has chosen to keep the company remote post-pandemic. And I shared it with my son, who is a neurodiverse activist who has many friends with a range of neurodiversities. Really appreciate you publishing your perspective.
Love it
This is great Hari! We'll add this to our social media queue.
Congrats on this outstanding, informative op-ed!
Great article, congratulations!
Congrats on this compelling piece of advocacy! I've just tweeted about it.
Fantastic piece, Hari. I love your openness—I learn so much from your writing.
Hi Hari, Great article on an important topic that’s very relevant to all of us nowadays!!
Great Op-Ed Hari! It’s super interesting and compelling!
Congratulations, Hari! -- your piece raises so many important issues
So helpful to reframe return to inperson as part of lost opportunity to consider accommodations for autistic and disabled plus many vulnerable groups (parents!)
Congrats Hari! Great perspective and what a fantastic platform to share it in.
Congrats and great to see this piece published!
Hari, Bravo! What an honest op-ed that not only highlights the hybrid versus remote debate but also voices the predicament that academics/researchers with disabilities experience with travel and dissemination of their work.
This is GREAT. Bravo.
Great article!'
Thanks so much for sharing Hari - an important article
Hi Hari!. Congrats on this compelling piece of advocacy! I've just tweeted about it.
Hi Hari, Congrats on this outstanding, informative op-ed! All the best,
Thanks for sharing this good paper.I love it
Love it
Thanks so much, for sharing this, Hari! Great article highlighting an important issue that is impacting workplaces and activities like conferences nationwide. I will share with colleagues who are working on this issue.
Great article!'
Thanks so much for sharing Hari - an important article
Hi Hari!. Congrats on this compelling piece of advocacy! I've just tweeted about it.
Hi Hari, Congrats on this outstanding, informative op-ed! All the best,
Thanks for sharing this good paper.I love it
Love it
Thanks so much, for sharing this, Hari! Great article highlighting an important issue that is impacting workplaces and activities like conferences nationwide. I will share with colleagues who are working on this issue.
Thank you so much for writing this, Hari
The Capitol Crawl
Wheelchairs and mobility aids were cast aside, not in surrender, but in a powerful symbol of defiance against a society that had overlooked the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities for far too long. Crawling up the monumental steps of Capitol Hill, these extraordinary individuals weren't just making a physical journey; they were forging a path towards societal inclusivity, equality, and respect.
Perna et al - Autism and Vision, A Meta Analysis
- Association between Autism and vision problems. A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Visual impairments, including refractive errors and reduced convergence, are more prevalent in autism compared to the general population.
- Sensory abnormalities, such as altered visual perception and global motion perception deficits, are commonly observed in autistics
- There is a need for further research to understand the relationship between visual impairments and autism, as well as the impact of these in Autistics.
Body Schema and Autism. How Our Bodies Shape Our World
Body Schema and Autism: How Our Bodies Shape Our World
Our bodies and brains are extraordinary, working together in harmony to help us navigate the world around us. Have you ever thought about how your brain creates a mental map of your body? It might sound strange, but this internal blueprint, known as the "body schema," plays a crucial role in how we interact with the world around us. For many autistics, this mental map can be a bit more complex, leading to challenges in motor coordination, body awareness, and proprioception - the sense of our body's position in space.
What is Body Schema?
To put it simply, body schema is like a GPS system inside our brains. It constantly tracks the position of different body parts and their movements, allowing us to perform everyday tasks with ease. Think of it as an internal representation that guides our physical actions, helping us walk, talk, and even dance without consciously thinking about every single movement.
Autism and Body Schema: Unraveling the Connection
Researchers have uncovered a wealth of evidence indicating that autistics may experience unique challenges with their body schema. This could manifest in various ways, affecting their motor coordination, proprioceptive feedback, and overall body awareness. But how exactly do we know this?
Insights from Brain Scans: In a study by Haswell et al. (2009), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to observe the brains of autistic children. The researchers discovered differences in the internal model of action, a critical component of body schema related to the outcomes of motor actions. These differences in the motor system could be connected to the social and communication deficits often seen in autism.
Touch and Proprioception in Autism: Cascio et al. (2012) found that autistics might process touch and proprioception differently compared to neurotypical individuals. Proprioception refers to our sense of our body's position in space, and differences in how it is perceived could impact the development and maintenance of an accurate body schema in people with autism.
The Mystery of "Motor Noise": Another study by Izawa et al. (2012) shed light on the phenomenon of "motor noise" in autistics. Motor noise refers to inconsistent and uncontrolled movements, which could suggest disruptions in the body schema. This finding highlights a possible link between motor difficulties and the challenges in social communication often experienced by autistics.
Motor Difficulties and Proprioceptive Feedback: Whyatt and Craig (2013) conducted research that revealed children with autism faced greater difficulties in motor tasks that required proprioceptive feedback compared to neurotypical children. This points to a potential challenges in their body schema, further supporting the correlation between autism and challenges with body representation.
Implications and Hope for the Future: As our understanding of body schema and its connection to autism deepens, there is also hope for potential therapeutic interventions and supports. The emerging field of haptic technologies - technologies that engage our sense of touch - could hold promise in aiding individuals with autism to develop a more robust and accurate body schema.
References:
Our bodies and brains are extraordinary, working together in harmony to help us navigate the world around us. Have you ever thought about how your brain creates a mental map of your body? It might sound strange, but this internal blueprint, known as the "body schema," plays a crucial role in how we interact with the world around us. For many autistics, this mental map can be a bit more complex, leading to challenges in motor coordination, body awareness, and proprioception - the sense of our body's position in space.
What is Body Schema?
To put it simply, body schema is like a GPS system inside our brains. It constantly tracks the position of different body parts and their movements, allowing us to perform everyday tasks with ease. Think of it as an internal representation that guides our physical actions, helping us walk, talk, and even dance without consciously thinking about every single movement.
Autism and Body Schema: Unraveling the Connection
Researchers have uncovered a wealth of evidence indicating that autistics may experience unique challenges with their body schema. This could manifest in various ways, affecting their motor coordination, proprioceptive feedback, and overall body awareness. But how exactly do we know this?
Insights from Brain Scans: In a study by Haswell et al. (2009), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to observe the brains of autistic children. The researchers discovered differences in the internal model of action, a critical component of body schema related to the outcomes of motor actions. These differences in the motor system could be connected to the social and communication deficits often seen in autism.
Touch and Proprioception in Autism: Cascio et al. (2012) found that autistics might process touch and proprioception differently compared to neurotypical individuals. Proprioception refers to our sense of our body's position in space, and differences in how it is perceived could impact the development and maintenance of an accurate body schema in people with autism.
The Mystery of "Motor Noise": Another study by Izawa et al. (2012) shed light on the phenomenon of "motor noise" in autistics. Motor noise refers to inconsistent and uncontrolled movements, which could suggest disruptions in the body schema. This finding highlights a possible link between motor difficulties and the challenges in social communication often experienced by autistics.
Motor Difficulties and Proprioceptive Feedback: Whyatt and Craig (2013) conducted research that revealed children with autism faced greater difficulties in motor tasks that required proprioceptive feedback compared to neurotypical children. This points to a potential challenges in their body schema, further supporting the correlation between autism and challenges with body representation.
Implications and Hope for the Future: As our understanding of body schema and its connection to autism deepens, there is also hope for potential therapeutic interventions and supports. The emerging field of haptic technologies - technologies that engage our sense of touch - could hold promise in aiding individuals with autism to develop a more robust and accurate body schema.
References:
Haswell, C. C., Izawa, J., Dowell, L. R., Mostofsky, S. H., & Shadmehr, R. (2009). Representation of internal models of action in the autistic brain. Nature Neuroscience, 12(8), 970–972. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2356.
Cascio, C. J., Foss-Feig, J. H., Burnette, C. P., Heacock, J. L., & Cosby, A. A. (2012). The rubber hand illusion in children with autism spectrum disorders: Delayed influence of combined tactile and visual input on proprioception. Autism, 16(4), 406-419. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361311430404.
Izawa, J., Pekny, S. E., Marko, M. K., Haswell, C. C., Shadmehr, R., & Mostofsky, S. H. (2012). Motor learning relies on integrated sensory inputs in ADHD, but over-selectively on proprioception in autism spectrum conditions. Autism Research, 5(2), 124-136. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.1222.
Whyatt, C., & Craig, C. (2013). Sensory-motor problems in Autism. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 7, 51. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2013.00051.
Cascio, C. J., Foss-Feig, J. H., Burnette, C. P., Heacock, J. L., & Cosby, A. A. (2012). The rubber hand illusion in children with autism spectrum disorders: Delayed influence of combined tactile and visual input on proprioception. Autism, 16(4), 406-419. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361311430404.
Izawa, J., Pekny, S. E., Marko, M. K., Haswell, C. C., Shadmehr, R., & Mostofsky, S. H. (2012). Motor learning relies on integrated sensory inputs in ADHD, but over-selectively on proprioception in autism spectrum conditions. Autism Research, 5(2), 124-136. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.1222.
Whyatt, C., & Craig, C. (2013). Sensory-motor problems in Autism. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 7, 51. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2013.00051.
ADA 33
"It is hard for younger generations to imagine a world without the ADA, but before it existed, if you were disabled, stores could turn you away and employers could refuse to hire you. Transit was largely inaccessible. America simply was not built for all Americans, but courageous activists pushed to change that. In 1973, the Congress passed the landmark Rehabilitation Act, banning discrimination by any federally funded entity. Then, 17 years later, a bipartisan group of legislators persevered in passing the ADA, banning discrimination against people with disabilities in most areas of public life, from the workplace and public schools to public transit and telecommunications.
The ADA has had a profound impact, but we still have much more work to do...."
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