Stimpunks

Disabled and neurodivergent people are always edge cases, and edge cases are stress cases.

Our designs, our societies, and the boundaries of our compassion are tested at the edges, where the truths told are of bias, inequality, injustice, and thoughtlessness.

There is no path to inclusive design that does not involve direct confrontation with injustice.

Choosing the Margin: Design is Tested at the Edges

Choosing the Margin: Design is Tested at the Edges Disabled and neurodivergent people are always edge cases, and edge cases are stress cases. Our designs, our societies, and the boundaries of our compassion are tested at the edges, where the truths told are of bias, inequality, injustice, and thoughtlessness. There is no path to inclusive design tha...

Instead of metric fixation, joy fixation. Learning goes where intrinsic motivation leads.

Measurement kills curiosity, joy, and intrinsic motivation.

Instead of metrics, fixate on joy to motivate learning. Instead of metric fixation, joy fixation. Learning goes where intrinsic motivation leads. Measurement kills curiosity, joy, and intrinsic motivation. Goodhart’s law: “When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure”. Step 1 of motivating learning: Restore curiosity and joy. Sto...

Gather 'Round Creeps: Happy Halloween from the Black Leather Lagoon

Ask your parents how to make a monster.

Death, divergence, and whimsy.

Enjoy this p***y Halloween playlist full of weird pride.

Gather 'Round Creeps: Happy Halloween from the Black Leather Lagoon Ask your parents how to make a monster. Death, divergence, and whimsy. Enjoy this p***y Halloween playlist full of weird pride.

“Staying alive is a lot of work for a disabled person in an ableist society.”
—Disability Visibility

“Grants for persons with disabilities constitute just 2% of all human rights funding.”
—Human Rights Funders Network

Help some of the most marginalized people in society stay alive. Donate now.

❤️↔❤️ Donate Staying alive is a lot of work for a disabled person in an ableist society. Grants for persons with disabilities constitute just 2% of all human rights funding. Help some of the most marginalized people in society stay alive. Donate now.

As we go about our work, we expand our glossary, which is currently at 370 terms in English and 405 terms across all languages. We added 6 new terms in the past month.

Latest Terms in the Stimpunks Glossary for October 2024 As we go about our work, we expand our glossary, which is currently at 370 terms in English and 405 terms across all languages. We added 6 new terms in the past month.

A lot of people say it doesn’t make sense to lump so many people under the neurodivergent umbrella.

Surely, we can’t have anything in common when we all have different diagnoses, right?

I beg to differ.
As I usually do.
Sorry about that.

We have a lot more in common than we think.

so I hyperfocused on this last night to show all the different experiences that neurodivergent people can have in common regardless of whether we have a mental health condition, neurological condition or a neurodevelopmental condition.

We’re all fighting for liberation from a system that labels our mindbodies as disordered.

We all diverge from neuronormativity.

So we might as well fight together, you know?

If I had to describe demand avoidance for myself, I would describe it as getting buried under an avalanche of demands.

And while I haven't been buried under a real avalanche, I imagine there's a lot of feelings of panic, overwhelm, doom, feeling stuck and feeling like you'll never escape or be free from the pressure pushing on you from all sides.

Which sums up what demand avoidance feels like.

And like an avalanche, only getting free from the demands can reduce those feelings.

As long as we're buried, we're not going to feel better or regulated or whelmed.

Can anyone relate to this explanation of demand avoidance?

As ADHD Awareness Month comes to an end, I would like to remind everyone that, just like Autism, ADHD is a non-linear spectrum of traits, support needs and experiences.

The saying "if you've met one Autistic person you've met one Autistic person" applies to ADHD too.

If you've met one ADHDer, you've met one ADHDer because every ADHDer has a unique experience of traits, support needs, challenges, and strengths.

Do you provide a neurodiversity affirming service, program, resource or support?

Do you know how many boxes you can tick on this neurodiversity affirming bingo card?

Love this from Lived Experience Educator

As ADHD Awareness Month comes to an end, I would like to remind everyone that, just like Autism, ADHD is a non-linear spectrum of traits, support needs and experiences.

The saying "if you've met one Autistic person you've met one Autistic person" applies to ADHD too.

If you've met one ADHDer, you've met one ADHDer because every ADHDer has a unique experience of traits, support needs, challenges, and strengths.

This booklet explores how , a affirming theory of may impact young people. It provides ideas to support at home & in other settings such as school to help prevent .

Available on Amazon and here:

https://www.autisticrealms.com/shop

Embracing Monotropism and Supporting Young People To Help Prevent Autistic Burnout Monotropism is a neurodiversity-affirming theory that provides a deeper understanding of inner autistic experiences. Embracing monotropism can lead to exciting new possibilities; it allows the potential for deep knowledge, new skills, and the engagement of flow states, which supports sensory regu...

“The label of “special needs” is inconsistent with recognition of disability as part of human diversity.”
—Catia Malaquias

“There is no such thing as “normal” and no such thing as “special needs.” There is just interdependence.”
—Talila “TL” Lewis

We ain’t special.

We Ain't Special There is no such thing as “normal” and no such thing as “special needs.” There is just interdependence.

Autistic, ADHD, or AuDHD? Think you might be?

You might find our Map of Monotropic Experiences relatable.

Included is a link to take the Monotropism Questionnaire to see if the theory of monotropism is a good fit for you.

Map of Monotropic Experiences This map highlights 20 common aspects of monotropic experience. How many do you experience?

Map of Monotropic Experiences.

In collaboration with Stimpunks this map highlights 20 common aspects of monotropic experience.

Do you relate to the theory of monotropism?
What would you add or take away?
What helps to navigate?

Visit our website page for a glossary describing each aspect to find out more!

Image credit: Autistic Realms
https://buff.ly/4fvHD0f

The contemporary classroom is a bastion of neuronormativity. We neuroqueer to fight for the right to learn differently.

Behaviorism denies flexibility and choice and is the antithesis of Neuroqueer Learning Spaces (NQLS). We are not only against the idea that people need to be fixed to fit into neuronormative ideals, we are offering NQLS as a transformative space of healthy power dynamics.

Neuroqueer Learning Spaces Manifesto The contemporary classroom is a bastion of neuronormativity. We neuroqueer to fight for the right to learn differently. Behaviorism denies flexibility and choice and is the antithesis of Neuroqueer Learning Spaces (NQLS). We are not only against the idea that people need to be fixed to fit into neur...

Map of Monotropic Experiences

This map highlights 20 common aspects of monotropic experience.

How many do you experience?

Visit the page for a glossary describing each aspect.

Image credit: Autistic Realms

https://buff.ly/4fvHD0f

I have been busy in my own monotropic way, thinking about the Theory of Monotropism and how that maps out for me.

Inspired by the fabulous Map of Procrastination by Gemma Correll I have created a map of monotropic experiences that reflects the main issues that impact my own life.
Curious to know what you would add or take away from this if you are Autistic/ADHD/AuDHD and resonate with this theory.

To find out more and take the Monotropism Questionnaire: https://www.autisticrealms.com/post/monotropism-questionnaire-inner-autistic-experiences

To find out even more and read over 50 blogs I have written about this and collected research and the infographics U have created about monotropism: https://www.autisticrealms.com/monotropism-1

To dive in deep and find out EVERYTHING about Monotropism, including the wonderful archives of Dinah Murray who first conceptualised this theory with Wenn Lawson back in the 1990's check out the website run by Fergus Murray Arts, Science & Minds which I support:
https://monotropism.org/

I am planning a blog to expand upon the key ideas depicted in this graphic over the coming weeks. Seeking community feedback on initial ideas to begin!

🌟Map of Monotropic Experiences🌟

Mountains of Ruminating Thoughts,

Penguin Pebbling Cove of Friendship,

Tendril Theory (EisforErin
https://eisforerin.com/2015/08/10/tendril-theory/)

Cyclones of Unmet Needs,

Infodump Canyon,

Rhizomatic Communities,

River of Monotropic Flow States,

Campsite of Cavendish Spaces (Stimpunks https://stimpunks.org/glossary/cavendish-space/)

Burnout Whirlpools,

Beach of Body Doubling,

Forest of Autistic Joy, Awe and Wonder,

Shark-Infested Waters of Neuronormativity, Behaviourism and Double Empathy Problems,

Ever Changing Currents of the Sensory Sea.

Is Your Training from the 1940s?
Are You Really Evidence-Based?
Are You Disregarding Harm and Profiting From Our Misery?
Do You Dishonour Autistic People?
Are You Qualified?: Don’t Confuse Your Lecture with Our Life Experience
Are You Feeding White Supremacist Ideology?
What Instead? Participatory, Emancipatory, Activist Research

Questions for an Industry: Are You Disregarding Harm and Profiting From Our Misery? What on earth has been going on, in experimentation on our autistic loved ones? Who on earth thought we were no more human than a lump of clay?

“Using the neurodiversity concept to change how we approach scientific research is not just possible but also vital for neurodivergent liberation.”
—Robert Chapman

To autism industry professionals perpetuating a broken status quo...

Stop, Hammer time.

🗂 Facts, Fire, and Feels: Research-Storytelling from the Edges Using the neurodiversity concept to change how we approach scientific research is not just possible but also vital for neurodivergent liberation.

This is a manifesto that begins but will never end. This is a translation of our world into yours. This is a protest of the notion that there is any correct way to live.

We reject neuronormativity and demand the right to live and learn differently.

Manifesto This is a manifesto that begins but will never end. This is a translation of our world into yours. This is a protest of the notion that there is any correct way to live. We reject neuronormativity and demand the right to live and learn differently.

Design Challenge: Neurodiversity Punk Hedgehog Mascot Inspired by Wapuu

Community artists, let’s make some Neurodiversity Hedgehog Mascots Inspired by Wapuu.

Design Challenge: Neurodiversity Punk Hedgehog Mascot Inspired by Wapuu Community artists, let’s make some Neurodiversity Hedgehog Mascots Inspired by Wapuu.

Since reading NeuroTribes, we think of psychologically and sensory safe spaces suited to zone work as “Cavendish bubbles” and “Cavendish space”, after Henry Cavendish, the wizard of Clapham Common and discoverer of hydrogen. The privileges of nobility afforded room for his differences, allowing him the space and opportunity to become “one of the first true scientists in the modern sense.”

Cavendish Space, NeuroTribes, and Steve Silberman Since reading NeuroTribes, we think of psychologically and sensory safe spaces suited to zone work as “Cavendish bubbles” and “Cavendish space”, after Henry Cavendish, the wizard of Clapham Common and discoverer of hydrogen. The privileges of nobility afforded room for his differences, allow...

wrote “Embracing Autistic Children’s Monotropic Flow States” for the inestimable community resource “Neurodiverse Connection”.

This is a great piece we recommend to all educators. Learn about your monotropic (Autistic, ADHD, AuDHD) students and their needs.

Embracing Autistic Children’s Monotropic Flow States — Neurodiverse Connection Autistic and ADHD people are more likely to be monotropic than the rest of the population. This means they focus more energy and resources on fewer interests/tasks/ sensory input at any one time compared to non-autistic polytropic people.

Reading the monthly research roundups by Ann Memmott at Neurodiverse Connection will leave you better educated on neurodivergence than anything you experience in mainstream Special Education. These reviews often challenge the enduring myths propagated in SpEd and healthcare.

Autism Research—What’s New in September? — Neurodiverse Connection In this month’s research roundup Ann picks out some of the current big debates on Autistic lives, and showcases new and important research from teams and academics working within the field.