The goal of this project is to put that important and actionable information in a cute-as-hell delivery system, so people feel excited and empowered to take those first steps. We don’t drown them in details, just give them an action plan, emphasizing that doing anything is better than nothing.

The zine gives an overview of ACTIONS people can take to support biodiversity here in Philly. It includes information specific to the region, from plant species to city stormwater management programs.

It can be overwhelming to know you’re supposed to do SOMETHING but not know where to start.

One important avenue for discussing autistic people’s autonomy in depth is exploring the Supported Decision Making Movement. Autistic Self Advocacy Network offers some helpful material on this subject, including some material in an Easy Reading format.

Blasko: We talked for a long time about the barriers to inclusion for autistics with HSNs. Researchers need to develop the skills to do it. We need less gatekeeping, and to dismantle that power imbalance. Researchers needs to provide better access. I hope we are patient with each other.

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Blasko and Jaswal: Why is this panel happening? Well, some people here don't understand how autistic with HSNs can participate, and don't understand the #neurodiversity paradigm.

Previous panelists talked about how to include autistic people with HSNs successfully in research.

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Sutherland: Sometimes communication difficulties were due to staff's normative assumptions about communication. So if someone could speak a bit they assumed they should be able to speak more, instead of trying to use AAC or other communication methods.

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Sutherland: On Fear and Control: Some staff would lose their curiosity about appropriate support techniques and ended up "running through the motions."

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Ryan: Always be kind and respectful. Allow autistic people to say yes, and also to say no. Be mindful of deficit-based and dehumanizing language that contributes to stigma.

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Ryan: There is currently not a tool for helping staff/caregivers to clearly communicate with autistic people with high support needs. So Ryan's team created a toolkit/tip sheet.

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Ryan: A crucial component is creating in-the-moment choice-making tools that support immediate decisions for autistic people with HSNs.

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Ryan: How do we design a toolkit of practical resources that staff/caregivers can use to promote autonomy for autistic people with high support needs?

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Ryan: The #neurodiversity movement advocates for all autistic people to exert autonomy, meaning feeling in control of your life. It's a fundamental human right, and key component of well-being. Autistic people overall experience decrease autonomy, per research.

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And please remember that most autistics have a history of being shamed 4 dysregulation. I suspect many of us, particularly elders, know on some level when we r becoming dysregulated, but go into denial or push through anyway b/c of the shame we have internalized over our dysregulation. #INSAR2025