What is the Autism Spectrum? Explaining Autism from a Neurodiversity-Affirming Perspective

Format

Individual Presentation

Sam MarionFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Sam Marion Counseling and Consulting

First Presenter’s Email Address

sam@sammarion.com

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Sam Marion, MSW, LCSW is the owner and therapist at Sam Marion Counseling and Consulting located in Buford, GA. He received his MSW from the University of Georgia. Sam has been in clinical and leadership roles in levels of care ranging from private practice to inpatient, and he has worked in settings from a large corporate-owned treatment center, a statewide agency, and his own solo practice. He works with many professionals from various disciplines and neurodivergent individuals of all ages. Sam has an interest in neurodivergence and sorts through available trainings and material to find material that is presented in a neurodiversity affirming manner. As he is able to filter available information, he packages it with his experience as a clinician and his lived experience as a multiply neurodivergent individual, and he offers the distilled information to others through a social media presence and his own online workshops. Sam attained a Certificate in Traumatic Stress Studies through the Trauma Center at JRI, is trained in EMDR, SandTray, and Art-Based Supervision. Sam frequently integrates expressive approaches with traditional therapies to bridge limitations of spoken language and is specifically interested in the intersection of neurodivergence and trauma.

Location

Session Five

Strand #1

Health: Mental & Physical Health

Strand #2

Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership

Relevance

This presentation relates to the Health strand because it discusses a specific mental health diagnosis. It relates to the Head strand because it discusses how to support those with the diagnosis in order to be more inclusive in an affirming manner.

Brief Program Description

Educators have been noticing the rise in autistic-identified students, and their observations were validated in the spring of 2023 with the new prevalence rate. This increase in identification comes largely from the increased understanding of autism, but many professionals are left with either limited or incorrect understanding. This presentation will explain autism in a way that will allow educators to better support their students.

Summary

Autism Spectrum Disorder officially became a diagnosis with the release of the DSM-5 in 2013. The change from having two diagnoses, Autistic Disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome, came from the neurodiversity movement making the case that this binary was not representative of the autistic experience. Many people viewed the autism spectrum as a linear continuum that ranged from high functioning (formerly Asperger’s) to low functioning (formerly Autistic Disorder), and people who didn’t fit neatly into the binary could now be placed on the line between them. This view is also limiting because the autism spectrum is not linear, and it is not based upon levels of functioning.

An autism diagnosis comes with a severity level that refers to the individual’s general level of support needs. There are a wide range of traits that show up in the diagnostic criteria, plus the associated traits not officially in the diagnosis, and there are varying support needs a person may have related to any or all of the traits. With just that brief overview it becomes clear that the autism spectrum is more similar to a color wheel than a line.

This presentation will start by explaining Autism Spectrum Disorder with an overview of its history and diagnostic criteria. The information will be presented from a neurodiversity affirming perspective, and this approach may challenge some attendees’ beliefs. The current evolution in the research will be explained to put context to the differences in what a person may have learned in their education compared to what is now known about the autistic experience. Perhaps most importantly, the presentation will include practical guidance on considering accommodations an autistic student may benefit from on larger assignments, such as tests and papers, and it will include guidance on how to support autistic students on a daily basis.

Note: While the conference submission page encourages the use of person-first language, this proposal uses identify-first language as an affirming practice since it is shown to be preferred by a growing majority of the members of the autistic and greater neurodivergent community.

Evidence

This presentation will use research on autism from traditional perspectives to demonstrate longevity of certain understandings, and newer research will be used to demonstrate the evolution taking place with the research designs. Recent research will also be presented that demonstrates the limited understanding of autism amongst certain professions that one would expect to have a greater familiarity, and at least one study will demonstrate views held by autistic adults.

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.).

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed., text rev.).

Ashburn, M. & Edwards, J. (2023). I will die on this hill: Autistic adults, autism parents, and the children who deserve a better world. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Grandin, T. (2013). The autistic brain: Thinking across the spectrum. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Hayden, C. (2023). Different, not less: A neurodivergent’s guide to embracing your true self and finding your happily ever after. Murdoch Books.

Monteiro, M. (2010). Autism conversations: Evaluating children on the autism spectrum through authentic conversations. Western Psychological Services.

Patriquin, E., Hartwig, E., Friedman, B., Porges, S., Scarpa, A. (2019). Autonomic response in autism spectrum disorder: Relationship to social and cognitive functioning. Biological Psychology, 145, 185-197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.05.004.

Porges, S. (2021). Polyvagal Theory: A biobehavioral journey to sociality. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, 7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100069.

Price, D. (2022). Unmasking autism: discovering the new faces of neurodiversity (First edition.). Harmony Books.

Rogers, A. (2023). Thriving together: An essential guide: finding support and mastering self-care for caregivers of children with differences and disabilities.

Learning Objective 1

Participants will be able to broadly explain autism from an affirming perspective.

Learning Objective 2

Participants will be able to identify differences between a clinical explanation of autism compared to stereotypes and common misunderstandings.

Learning Objective 3

Participants will be able to identify at least three affirming accommodations for autistic students.

Keyword Descriptors

autism, autism spectrum disorder, asd, neurodiversity, neurodiversity affirming

Presentation Year

2024

Start Date

3-5-2024 10:15 AM

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Mar 5th, 10:15 AM

What is the Autism Spectrum? Explaining Autism from a Neurodiversity-Affirming Perspective

Session Five

Educators have been noticing the rise in autistic-identified students, and their observations were validated in the spring of 2023 with the new prevalence rate. This increase in identification comes largely from the increased understanding of autism, but many professionals are left with either limited or incorrect understanding. This presentation will explain autism in a way that will allow educators to better support their students.