A professor of psychiatry believes that we should stop viewing autism as a “defect”. Instead, he points out that autism can be an advantage, (in the right environments). His viewpoint echos those of others, who see autism as “different”, but not as something that should be corrected. Dr. Laurent Mottron is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Montreal. He believes that when researchers focus on the difference between a person who has autism and a “neurotypical” person as defects, they end up not fully understanding the condition of autism. For example, researchers sometimes use brain scans to learn … Continue reading →

How will you be celebrating Autistic Pride Day? It takes place on June 18th every year. The purpose is to shift people’s views from thinking about autism as a “disease” to understanding it as a “difference”. It celebrates neurological diversity, and recognizes the value of those whose brains are not “neuro-typical”. There are many parents who truly feel devastated when they learn that their child has autism. I find that to be incredibly sad. I realize that there are a lot of people who simply do not have a good understanding about what autism is and that it comes in … Continue reading →