Jennifer Macko
@sagewell.bsky.social
Neurodivergent PhD candidate researching the intersection of mental health, disability, and sex/gender in educational spaces. Former special education teacher. Current university instructor. She/her.
#InvisibleDisabilities 👻
#FeministDisabilityStudies 📚
#InvisibleDisabilities 👻
#FeministDisabilityStudies 📚
Zooeyia: the positive benefits to human health from interacting with companion animals (Hodgson & Darling, 2011).
Also known as the perfect spoon-building self-care option after a week long conference with a lot of peopling. #caturday
Also known as the perfect spoon-building self-care option after a week long conference with a lot of peopling. #caturday
November 15, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Zooeyia: the positive benefits to human health from interacting with companion animals (Hodgson & Darling, 2011).
Also known as the perfect spoon-building self-care option after a week long conference with a lot of peopling. #caturday
Also known as the perfect spoon-building self-care option after a week long conference with a lot of peopling. #caturday
Thank you Alice for your wisdom & guidance in how to live in & leave this world. Your joy was contagious—even in the littlest things like your delightful alt text descriptions of your smile and lipstick colors. www.instagram.com/p/C5B3bmkPxO5
Alice Wong on Instagram: "💀Death is my intimate shadow partner. It is a disability intimacy.
I wrote for @time magazine about my relationship with mortality as someone who just turned 50 as a disable...
4,995 likes, 127 comments - disability_visibility on March 27, 2024: "💀Death is my intimate shadow partner. It is a disability intimacy.
I wrote for @time magazine about my relationship with mortalit...
www.instagram.com
November 15, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Thank you Alice for your wisdom & guidance in how to live in & leave this world. Your joy was contagious—even in the littlest things like your delightful alt text descriptions of your smile and lipstick colors. www.instagram.com/p/C5B3bmkPxO5
My favorite find at the @ted-cec.bsky.social conference was this feminist disabilities studies coloring book created by Miso Kwak and Emily Nott. I am enamored with FDS theory & its principles but don’t often see it used in educational spaces so this made my heart very happy!
November 13, 2025 at 6:59 PM
My favorite find at the @ted-cec.bsky.social conference was this feminist disabilities studies coloring book created by Miso Kwak and Emily Nott. I am enamored with FDS theory & its principles but don’t often see it used in educational spaces so this made my heart very happy!
Attending my first @ted-cec.bsky.social conference. While I usually find conference networking difficult, connecting with the Neurodivergent Educators and Researchers w/Disabilities SIG made it much easier to chat authentically & share my work. Yay for neurodiversity-affirming spaces & colleagues!
November 12, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Attending my first @ted-cec.bsky.social conference. While I usually find conference networking difficult, connecting with the Neurodivergent Educators and Researchers w/Disabilities SIG made it much easier to chat authentically & share my work. Yay for neurodiversity-affirming spaces & colleagues!
I'm getting ready for the new semester and trying time blocking to manage teaching two courses, a research assistantship, a project coordinator role, and my dissertation. For those who've done it, how many hours a week did you typically spend writing your dissertation? #phdlife #AcademicSky
August 15, 2025 at 9:25 PM
I'm getting ready for the new semester and trying time blocking to manage teaching two courses, a research assistantship, a project coordinator role, and my dissertation. For those who've done it, how many hours a week did you typically spend writing your dissertation? #phdlife #AcademicSky
It's been a day. I finished my written PhD comprehensive exams this morning. They were planned for next semester, but my advisor & I decided that given the uncertain times, I should just get it done. Then this evening I submitted my final assignment for my last required course. Exhale.😮💨 #academicsky
April 29, 2025 at 2:41 AM
It's been a day. I finished my written PhD comprehensive exams this morning. They were planned for next semester, but my advisor & I decided that given the uncertain times, I should just get it done. Then this evening I submitted my final assignment for my last required course. Exhale.😮💨 #academicsky
Been a bit quiet, navigating program uncertainty to ensure I can keep doing the work I'm passionate about. Taking those steps feels important (more on this later.) Now I’m at #AERA2025 —a space where folks are deeply engaged in the work. It’s a welcome contrast to recent distractions. My ❤️ is happy.
April 25, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Been a bit quiet, navigating program uncertainty to ensure I can keep doing the work I'm passionate about. Taking those steps feels important (more on this later.) Now I’m at #AERA2025 —a space where folks are deeply engaged in the work. It’s a welcome contrast to recent distractions. My ❤️ is happy.
I’ve seen the posts hypothesizing that the special education transition program funding was accidentally cut due to a control F search for the word transition. However, this press release makes clear that disability justice in education efforts to reduce ableism are intentionally being targeted.
February 17, 2025 at 10:09 PM
I’ve seen the posts hypothesizing that the special education transition program funding was accidentally cut due to a control F search for the word transition. However, this press release makes clear that disability justice in education efforts to reduce ableism are intentionally being targeted.
This a beautiful first person narrative of coming to self acceptance after learning about Indigenous views of autism. The author is
Cree and she explains that her “people have long had a word for people like me: pîtoteyihtam, which means ‘he/she thinks differently.’”
Cree and she explains that her “people have long had a word for people like me: pîtoteyihtam, which means ‘he/she thinks differently.’”
January 27, 2025 at 2:17 AM
This a beautiful first person narrative of coming to self acceptance after learning about Indigenous views of autism. The author is
Cree and she explains that her “people have long had a word for people like me: pîtoteyihtam, which means ‘he/she thinks differently.’”
Cree and she explains that her “people have long had a word for people like me: pîtoteyihtam, which means ‘he/she thinks differently.’”
New #AutRes demonstrating the need for future research to address the well-being of transgender/gender diverse autistic folks…The authors found TGD adults were 10.9 times more likely to report a mental health condition & 5.8 times more likely to report self-harm than cisgender non-autistic adults.
New paper out #openaccess in Molecular Autism today that shows #autistic #trans #nonbinary and #genderdiverse (TGD) people are more likely to have physical and mental health conditions than nonautistic cisgender people. Alongside this, they also reported poorer quality #healthcare bit.ly/4geRRlC
Autistic and transgender/gender diverse people’s experiences of health and healthcare - Molecular Autism
Background Autistic people and transgender/gender diverse people experience poorer healthcare experiences and greater risk of diagnosed, suspected, and assessment recommended health conditions, compar...
bit.ly
January 21, 2025 at 7:39 PM
New #AutRes demonstrating the need for future research to address the well-being of transgender/gender diverse autistic folks…The authors found TGD adults were 10.9 times more likely to report a mental health condition & 5.8 times more likely to report self-harm than cisgender non-autistic adults.
The FACES program is recruiting caregivers of Black autistic students to participate in our free upcoming advocacy trainings offered across NC & in Atlanta, Baltimore, & Washington DC. Families will be compensated for their time & snacks will be provided. Learn more at go.ncsu.edu/joinfaces #AutRes
January 15, 2025 at 4:32 PM
The FACES program is recruiting caregivers of Black autistic students to participate in our free upcoming advocacy trainings offered across NC & in Atlanta, Baltimore, & Washington DC. Families will be compensated for their time & snacks will be provided. Learn more at go.ncsu.edu/joinfaces #AutRes
Spoon/capacity planning is the way I've made it through grad school. Today I'm planning my spring semester. In addition to classes & assistantships, I'll be traveling to Jamaica for an internship, Baltimore for CEC, Virginia Beach for ACRES, & Denver for AERA. The plan: hoard my spoons. #academicsky
January 2, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Spoon/capacity planning is the way I've made it through grad school. Today I'm planning my spring semester. In addition to classes & assistantships, I'll be traveling to Jamaica for an internship, Baltimore for CEC, Virginia Beach for ACRES, & Denver for AERA. The plan: hoard my spoons. #academicsky
This past semester seemed to linger. Each time I thought everything had been crossed off my to-dos something else popped up. Now that the holidays are over, I’m finally on break! My favorite reregulation activity is list making. Today I’m working on my list for 2025’s 52 week book challenge.
December 26, 2024 at 6:45 PM
This past semester seemed to linger. Each time I thought everything had been crossed off my to-dos something else popped up. Now that the holidays are over, I’m finally on break! My favorite reregulation activity is list making. Today I’m working on my list for 2025’s 52 week book challenge.
Reposted by Jennifer Macko
"This offers further evidence that parasocial contact w/non-neurotypical individuals via the popular fiction we consume can generate positive attitude change." And since attitude impacts self-efficacy for inclusive teaching, I'm wondering if I should add a book club to the PD I'm developing. #AutRes
“Participants in the novel condition showed significant improvement in their attitudes towards individuals with ASD after reading while those in the textbook condition showed more negative attitudes after reading the textbook chapter.”
I wonder what the Bluesky education efforts efficacy will be 👀
I wonder what the Bluesky education efforts efficacy will be 👀
Using Popular Media to Change Attitudes and Bolster Knowledge About Autism Spectrum Disorder - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
This research investigated the impact popular novels have on knowledge about and attitudes towards Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), compared to that of traditional college textbooks. Study 1 found that...
link.springer.com
December 5, 2024 at 1:07 AM
"This offers further evidence that parasocial contact w/non-neurotypical individuals via the popular fiction we consume can generate positive attitude change." And since attitude impacts self-efficacy for inclusive teaching, I'm wondering if I should add a book club to the PD I'm developing. #AutRes
Shout out to @kaylamalone.bsky.social who introduced me to GoblinTools, a set of AI tools to help neurodivergent folks with overwhelming and difficult tasks. I particularly appreciate the Magic ToDo, which task analyzes your to-dos & presents them back as manageable steps. goblin.tools
Magic ToDo - GoblinTools
goblin.tools
December 5, 2024 at 12:41 AM
Shout out to @kaylamalone.bsky.social who introduced me to GoblinTools, a set of AI tools to help neurodivergent folks with overwhelming and difficult tasks. I particularly appreciate the Magic ToDo, which task analyzes your to-dos & presents them back as manageable steps. goblin.tools
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge
Day 11
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge
Day 11
December 1, 2024 at 2:24 PM
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge
Day 11
#Books
#BookSky
💙📚
#BookChallenge
Day 11
Reposted by Jennifer Macko
The autistic dream is to be a professional infodumper and this includes everything from being a teacher to writing instruction manuals
November 30, 2024 at 11:24 PM
The autistic dream is to be a professional infodumper and this includes everything from being a teacher to writing instruction manuals
Writing goals for the holiday weekend:
Paper 1
1. Finish one section per day Wednesday-Friday (implications, limitations, and conclusion).
2. Edit the draft & submit. (Saturday)
Paper 2
1. Edit the draft & submit. (Sunday)
Paper 3
1. Write and edit commentary for a peer. (Sunday)
#AcademicSky
Paper 1
1. Finish one section per day Wednesday-Friday (implications, limitations, and conclusion).
2. Edit the draft & submit. (Saturday)
Paper 2
1. Edit the draft & submit. (Sunday)
Paper 3
1. Write and edit commentary for a peer. (Sunday)
#AcademicSky
November 27, 2024 at 9:38 PM
Writing goals for the holiday weekend:
Paper 1
1. Finish one section per day Wednesday-Friday (implications, limitations, and conclusion).
2. Edit the draft & submit. (Saturday)
Paper 2
1. Edit the draft & submit. (Sunday)
Paper 3
1. Write and edit commentary for a peer. (Sunday)
#AcademicSky
Paper 1
1. Finish one section per day Wednesday-Friday (implications, limitations, and conclusion).
2. Edit the draft & submit. (Saturday)
Paper 2
1. Edit the draft & submit. (Sunday)
Paper 3
1. Write and edit commentary for a peer. (Sunday)
#AcademicSky
I love this work! This is exactly why I love being in academia. Being able to do deep dives into my enthusiasms and hitting that flow state makes me happy. 😊 #AutRes #AcademicSky
I was just thinking about flow states in autism and am overjoyed to learn that @ferrousmu.bsky.social has a paper on the exact topic!!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Towards autistic flow theory: A non‐pathologising conceptual approach
Flow states are heightened moments of concentration, motivation and enjoyment, leading to total absorption in the present moment. A striking parallel exists between flow states and phenomenological a...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 25, 2024 at 6:03 PM
I love this work! This is exactly why I love being in academia. Being able to do deep dives into my enthusiasms and hitting that flow state makes me happy. 😊 #AutRes #AcademicSky
Reposted by Jennifer Macko
Clues autism researchers may secretly be Autistic researchers:
Identity first language
Subjective research based on quality of life
Research that suggests ABA is harmful
Focus on adult quality of life
Retreating to hotel room following presentations
The number of figurines in their offices
Swagger
Identity first language
Subjective research based on quality of life
Research that suggests ABA is harmful
Focus on adult quality of life
Retreating to hotel room following presentations
The number of figurines in their offices
Swagger
November 24, 2024 at 2:19 PM
Clues autism researchers may secretly be Autistic researchers:
Identity first language
Subjective research based on quality of life
Research that suggests ABA is harmful
Focus on adult quality of life
Retreating to hotel room following presentations
The number of figurines in their offices
Swagger
Identity first language
Subjective research based on quality of life
Research that suggests ABA is harmful
Focus on adult quality of life
Retreating to hotel room following presentations
The number of figurines in their offices
Swagger
I'm delving into Wizner’s work on the history of special education & enthusiastically tracing how ideologies & historical events have shaped belongingness for students w/disabilities. Some might call it a focused interest. I prefer Clara Claiborne Park's view-it’s an enthusiasm. #AcademicSky #AutRes
November 25, 2024 at 5:42 PM
I'm delving into Wizner’s work on the history of special education & enthusiastically tracing how ideologies & historical events have shaped belongingness for students w/disabilities. Some might call it a focused interest. I prefer Clara Claiborne Park's view-it’s an enthusiasm. #AcademicSky #AutRes
👇This one and the follow up quote: “I wish more people realized that even though autistic people can sometimes present as neurotypical for periods of time, it's exhausting to do so.”
Responses from the Autism Community Support Survey-a thread 🧵⬇️
“Some of us are privileged enough to be able to mask and hide our autism, but it doesn't mean we're okay.
It just means we've been trained to play a role.(cont)
Learn More about Aut2Ask: bit.ly/Aut2ask
#AutRes #autism #support
“Some of us are privileged enough to be able to mask and hide our autism, but it doesn't mean we're okay.
It just means we've been trained to play a role.(cont)
Learn More about Aut2Ask: bit.ly/Aut2ask
#AutRes #autism #support
Autism Supports (v.2)
An autistic led community. The community of Aut2Ask members are aut’ers (otters) 🦦
We need each otter.
It's about connecting and having our stories heard.
With the hope and goal that we will be heard ...
bit.ly
November 22, 2024 at 4:44 PM
👇This one and the follow up quote: “I wish more people realized that even though autistic people can sometimes present as neurotypical for periods of time, it's exhausting to do so.”
I heard a special education teacher use the phrase "administering an intervention" today. It glaringly highlighted the presence of the medical model of disability in education & felt like nails on a chalkboard. I'm thinking about how we can foster change by making language shifts TPP programs. 1/2
November 22, 2024 at 2:30 PM
I heard a special education teacher use the phrase "administering an intervention" today. It glaringly highlighted the presence of the medical model of disability in education & felt like nails on a chalkboard. I'm thinking about how we can foster change by making language shifts TPP programs. 1/2
I’m Read a Book. (During which I’ll probably fall asleep and end up being Take a Nap.)
November 20, 2024 at 2:33 AM
I’m Read a Book. (During which I’ll probably fall asleep and end up being Take a Nap.)