Disability or difference? How autism is understood varies from place to place.

Drawn from lived experience, this book explores the question of what autism is, and how it is best viewed in society. Dr Jaime Hoerricks PhD – an academic and non-verbal autistic person – interrogates different models of disability, and considers how autism might be seen as a difference in human experience, in light of the need for accommodations and structural supports.

Positioning autism as both a set of traits and an identity, No place for autism? asks what can be done to give place for autistic people and communities.

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• v Abstract
• viviiContents
• 1 Introduction
  • Learning objective
  • Activity
  • Key vocabulary, terms, references, and background knowledge-building resources
  • Meet the author
  • Meltdowns
  • Shutdowns
  • Shutdowns, and an unprepared medical system
  • Autism and place
  • The study of autism
    • Course outline
  • Why study autism in this way?
  • Preparing to study
  • During our studies
  • Check for understanding
  • Some things that might trip you up
  • End of chapter activity
  • Summary
  • Key vocabulary and terms
• 2 What is autism?
  • Learning objective
  • Activity
  • Introduction
  • The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders
  • A quick view of how the Western medical systems view autism
  • Diagnostic tools
  • Now what?
  • How does the natural world view autism?
  • Preparing for this chapter’s activity
  • Important considerations
  • What does this look like in practice?
  • Let’s debrief what you saw
  • Here’s where you might get tripped up
  • Here’s how we’ll fix it
  • End of chapter activity
  • Summary
  • Key vocabulary, terms, and people
• 3 When is autism?
  • Learning objective
  • Activity
  • Introduction
  • A solid footing
  • Paedology vs. scientific racism
  • Ethics and standards
  • Let’s set up our graphic organizer
  • Three important issues
  • Here’s what this might look like
  • Let’s debrief what you saw
  • End of chapter activity
  • Summary
  • Key vocabulary, terms, and people
• 4 Where is autism?
  • Learning objective
  • Activity
  • Introduction
  • Place and its impact
  • Considerations
  • What to do about it?
  • Let’s set up your notebook
  • Some things to watch for
  • Let’s debrief what you saw
  • End of chapter activity
  • Here’s where we might get tripped up
  • Some helpful fixes
  • Now it’s your turn
  • Summary
  • Key vocabulary, terms, and people
• 5 Who is autistic?
  • Learning objective
  • Activity
  • Introduction
  • Metaphysics
  • Who are autistics?
  • Do the APA’s diagnostic criteria define who may be autistic?
  • What about the #actuallyautistic?
  • Structures and supports
  • What you need to know about requesting supports
  • What about the profoundly disabled?
  • Let’s debrief
  • Here’s where you might get tripped up
  • Here’s how we’ll fix it
  • Now it’s your turn
  • Summary
  • Key vocabulary, terms, and people
• 6 Why autism?
  • Learning objective
  • Activity
  • Introduction
  • Justifying our existence
  • Eugenics as national health policy
  • Why would disabled patients be at risk?
  • Why autism then?
  • Let’s explore knowledge of self
  • An evolutionary look
  • Again, why autism?
  • Setting up our graphic organizer
  • A word of caution
  • Some helpful search terms
  • Debrief
  • Here’s where you might get tripped up
  • Here’s how we’ll fix it
  • Now it’s your turn
  • Summary
  • Key vocabulary, terms, and people
• 7 Summary
  • Review
  • A cohesive view of autism
  • Final thoughts
• 178179References
• 202Index

Jaime Hoerricks PhD (they/them) is a non-verbal autistic advocate, researcher, educator, and author. They are based in California, US, and currently work as a special education teacher.

Author blog post: The Autistic Way of Proceeding by Jaime Hoerricks PhD