Autism & Neurodivergence

There is growing worldwide attention to the unique lived experiences & valuable contributions of autists to culture & society. EARTH is working to support the movement to frame autism 1) as a natural variation of human diversity; 2) through a strength-based as opposed to deficits-focused lens. Ivan Illich pointed out that “social labeling has been medicalized to the point where all deviance has to have a medical label." This quote underscores that the medical model of disability has arisen out of neuronormative assumptions, in particular that there is a right way of being & that neurotypical tendencies are superior. This setup underpins ableism – discrimination of and social prejudice towards groups of people. Fortunately, greater recognition of diversity in neurotypes – different ways in which the brain and nervous system are wired and function – is challenging assumptions. As such, neurodivergent has arisen as an identity term & social justice movement being used to support individuals whose neurophysiology differs from normative expectations, & who make up a neurominority. EARTH is committed to serving this population through the lens of neuroaffirmative action -- working together to respect, celebrate, & assure equal voice & agency. If you are interested in partnering with EARTH to support autism culture & the larger neurodivergent community, please reach out.