Do autism and trains go together?

April is National Autism Month. 

Do all autistics like trains? The answer may surprise you. 

While it is true that some autistics may have strong interest in trains or transportation systems, this is not a universal trait among all autistics.

The origins of this autism stereotype are unclear, some guesses. 

In our own time and space

April is Autism Solutions Month. 

Came across a new word today. 

Takiwatanga is the Te Reo Māori word for Autism. It means "in their own time and space. " 

(The Māori are a Polynesian ethnic group of New Zealand and Te Reo =language)

 

Takiwatanga - what a nice way to phrase autism, cuz we often don't follow the expected developmental timelines, even within what autism is 'supposed' to be like, which has left me pretty confused and flustered over the years. 

"takiwa," = "area" or "territory,"

"tanga," = "to be in a state of."

So, Takiwatanga can be translated to mean "in their own time and space. " 

The word Takiwatanga is now used both in the Maori community and the larger community in New Zealand to refer to autism. It reflects the Maori cultural value of respecting and acknowledging the importance of each person's unique perspective and way of being in the world.

Boston Globe Op-Ed

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/04/22/opinion/autism-disability-person-first-language-identity-first-language-linguistics/

My first op-ed in a major media newspaper on an issue that still seems to dominate autism conversations. its time to put it to rest and move onto spending time on translatable solutions for all autistics.

The article discusses the linguistic controversy surrounding the use of identity-first language (e.g., "autistic") and person-first language (e.g., "person with autism"). I argue that the autism community can learn from other disability communities and embrace both types of language. The key takeaway is that it is not an either-or situation, and that the most important thing is to use language with empathy and respect.

Jon Stewart at Vanderbilt.

Great way to end my First Year of Grad School. 

A talk on HealthCare Advocacy by the amazing Jon Stewart in Langford Auditorium

Lots of takeaways, will write about them later.