I’m currently at the Modern Language Association convention in Seattle. To put it mildly, it’s an overwhelming conference. Yesterday I participated in a roundtable discussion titled “Is Access the New Diversity?” — during which we explored how the field and world beyond thinks about access. What follows is my portion of the roundtable. – My [...]
Something transcendent happens to autistic people when we turn 21: We disappear. Unfortunately for me, however, I’m 27, still autistic, and still living and breathing on this planet. Yes, my friends: I have been left behind. My parents made the mistake of not aborting me. And ABA, CBT, talk therapy, support groups, anti-depressants — none [...]
On June 23, I attended the Nisonger Autism Institute, a day-long, invitation-only conference that focused on transition across the lifespan. I’ve been wanting to write on my experience there for some time now, but needed a month in order to cohere my thoughts (and to lower my, um, blood pressure). I should start off by [...]
I’ve been going through old computer files lately, and I realized that I never posted the paper I read at the Feminism(s) and Rhetoric(s) conference that took place at Michigan State this past October (the week before our protest of the Autism Speaks walk, actually). So, here it is — my essay. —- “Melanie,” she [...]
I’m presenting at four conferences between March and June. Two are smaller-scale, on-campus conferences with no travel required on my part. Two are national and are in California. Three of my papers will relate to ASD in some way. (And the fourth somewhat touches on disability studies.) The papers for the two small conferences have [...]
