Dismantling Diagnostic Criteria: A Multidimensional Understanding of Autism

Autism is typically categorized as a set of observable behaviors. This lens creates the assumption that changing these behaviors can help an autistic person live in the "real world." This talk turns that assumption in its head and looks at diagnostic criteria as the end product of other cognitive traits and characteristics. Instead of changing behavior, we can use this information to provide better supports for the autistic people in our lives.

Oswin Latimer is is a lifelong advocate for practices and policies of issues of importance to autistic people. As a recognized expert and leader in their field, they work to empower people to have a voice in the direction and quality of their lives. Their experience in leadership, educating, research, and public advocacy for issues surrounding autistic people have made them a highly respected consultant, public speaker, and presenter both nationally and locally.
Oswin is the founder and President of Foundations for Divergent Minds (FDM) and former Director of Community Engagement for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN). They have served as a consultant on policy discussion to the US Department of Labor, Department of Education, and Department of Personnel Management. They are also a valued consultant to many parents, offering useful and practical advice on how to organize their homes and create individualized education plans that best meet the needs of their child. Oswin is also parent to two autistic children.

Oswin Latimer was featured in the 2013 documentary, Citizen Autistic, a film directed by William Davenport exploring the advocacy work of autism rights activists. They are regularly called upon for media interviews and to speak at local and national conferences on a variety of topics, including language and perception, executive functioning, and autistic parenting. Oswin also compiled and edited Navigating College: A Handbook on Self Advocacy Written for Autistic Students from Autistic Adults.

Transcript is here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor...

Links Discussed:
https://www.divergentminds.org

https://autisticscienceperson.com/201...

https://autisticuk.org/neurodiversity/

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NJACE is funded in part by the New Jersey Governor’s Council for the Medical Research and Treatments of Autism and by the NJ DOH

The views expressed herein may not necessarily reflect the views of the NJACE or our partners, the Governor's Council for Medical Research and Treatments in Autism, the New Jersey Department of Health, and Children's Specialized Hospital.

The mission of the NJACE is to educate society about the neurobiology of autism, and autistic people‘s unmet needs across their lifespan. We do this by listening to the perspectives of autistic people, their parents and families, clinicians from interdisciplinary fields, and researchers from various fields including psychology, genetics, engineering, and computer science. We hope to build an all-inclusive community, which embraces autistic people as valued members of our society.