Information as Empowerment

The slides below come from a training presentation developed with Santanna Ficken of Minnesota Neurodivergent Education Advocacy and Therapy Services we’ve had the opportunity to share at conferences including the Autism Society of Minnesota, the Minnesota Social Service Association, and St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services.

This presentation was created to help clinicians and other professionals deepen their understanding of autism through a lived-experience perspective from the autistic community. It explores topics such as respectful language and terminology, lesser-known autistic experiences, and the ways autism can look very different from common stereotypes.

We also talk about types of trauma that are more common in autistic people but often go unrecognized, and how autism is frequently mistaken for other diagnoses. Part of the goal of this training is to help professionals better recognize autism when it may be hidden beneath other labels or misunderstood behaviors.

We’re sharing these slides here in the spirit of making this information more accessible and supporting continued learning.

Check out our slides and resource list below.
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