ON TO SEMESTER TWO!!
I am incredibly excited to dive into another year of this study! Let’s get started (might move this to new website if I get one).
PAST
LAST SEMESTER
- Resource pages above
- Blog posts on the Home page
- Final Project: Autism Faculty Presentation
THIS SUMMER
Research Assistant under CDC-sponsored Autism SEED Study
I worked with the team of Dr. Julie Daniels, UNC professor of epidemiology and maternal/child health, to code nationwide prenatal hormonal data with the goal of analyzing the effect of progestin birth control, endometriosis, fibroids/fibroids, and PCOS on autism data.
Internship with Spectrum Services
I met with Dr. Casey Okoniewski, a licensed psychologist with Spectrum Services (NC-based autism diagnosis and therapeutic organization), with the aim of addressing biases and gaps in the clinic’s medical system and bringing an intersectional, social-model-of-disability perspective back to DA.
I read Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Devon Price (HIGHLY RECOMMEND) and analyzed actual psychologist diagnostic tools and profiles that Dr. O sent me, which provided very interesting insights!
PRESENT
THIS WEEK
Going into the beginning of this school year, I have been very interested in exploring how autism is presented in media, in part inspired by my summer reading for Banned Books, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon and one of my FAVORITE books, See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng, as well as Abed from Community and Quinni from Heartbreak High <3.
I recommend checking out this media analysis site for education about autism and other disability rep in media: https://www.disabledautisticlesbian.com/media-analysis
Here is a documentary about the first all-neurodivergent cast for the play production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, which got canceled by the college a week before their showcase as a result of institutionalized ableism and barriers.
Here is a video analyzing the representation, criticism, and historical context for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.
FUTURE
GOALS FOR THIS WEEK
- Research common misconceptions about autism
- Begin brainstorming questions for survey on knowledge and beliefs about autism—one for US students, one for US + MS faculty
GOALS FOR THIS YEAR
- Collect data from students and faculty on autism misconceptions
- Presentation to Upper School
- Library Display for Autism Acceptance Month (April)
