The Joy of Autism

A Chance to Participate in a PhD Thesis:

CALL OUT I am completing my PhD thesis on autism health care services in Ontario with a special interest in evidence-based applied behavioural therapies. I am a social scientist and so my project aims to explore some of the social and political implications...

Published Wed, Oct 29 2014 9:53 AM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Research

ASAN’s letter regarding under-representation of autistic people on IACC:

I am adding this press release as the founder and director of The Autism Acceptance Project and critical disability scholar who supports autistic-driven agency and political mandates for autism. I would like our Canadian agencies to consider the same...

Published Wed, Oct 29 2014 9:46 AM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Activism, Autistic Self Advocacy, Politics, Organizations/Events, The Autism Acceptance Project

Humber College Denies “Ghost Tours”

This is in regards to my recent post that Humber College, which used to be named “The Mimico Lunatic Asylum,” or the “Lakeshore Asylum conducts “ghost tours.” We have asked that the College discontinue the sensationalized...

Published Wed, Oct 29 2014 3:27 PM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Institutionalization

Humber College Cancels Tunnel Tours For Tomorrow ONLY (re: The former Lakeshore Asylum)

I am writing to let everyone know that Humber College, thanks also to the work of Tracy Mack and Geoffrey Reaume, have canceled their tours for tomorrow ONLY of the former Lakeshore Asylum for Halloween tomorrow. I hope we can look forward to tours that...

Published Thu, Oct 30 2014 12:54 PM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Activism, Institutionalization

This is Our Halloween

We got up a little earlier today to rush to get Adam’s makeup on for Halloween here in Toronto. Adam decided to be a happy bear, so we came up with Happy Panda – it’s also a story about mindfulness that we sometimes read. It just feels...

Published Fri, Oct 31 2014 9:30 AM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Adam, Development, Family, Acceptance, Joy, communication, The Joy Of Autism, Autistic Self Advocacy, Accessibility, Holidays

A Rights-Base Approach for Autism

Adam is typing a deluge of sentences, feelings, anger at being ignored by certain people; upset by some people in his life that still do not “see his mind,” as he puts it. As Adam’s parent and protector, I know there is good reason to share our journey...

Published Wed, Nov 05 2014 10:46 AM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Activism, Inclusion, Discrimination, Autism and Intelligence, communication, Politics, What is Disability?

Grace and Disgrace on the Subway

I’ve been thinking of writing about the faith I often have in daily encounters with people on our subway also known as the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). In addition to the autism label, Adam also has tics known as Tourettes Syndrome. His manifest...

Published Fri, Nov 07 2014 11:41 AM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Activism

Independence Before the “Right” to Inclusion is Not Equality

We at The Autism Acceptance Project will be addressing the following: We need to discuss problems with autism programs, our communities (including schools) and inclusion. There is a lot of segregation and fracture within the autism community over the...

Published Tue, Nov 11 2014 7:11 AM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Activism

The Creative Potential of Tourettes and Tics

Adam’s body tics and his vocal tics now include an exceptionally loud OW! The vocal component began about a year and a half ago with grunting – I wrote a piece to be published about my perception and response to it for a peer-reviewed journal...

Published Tue, Nov 11 2014 11:44 AM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Autism and Intelligence, Acceptance, Obsessions, Inspiration, Behaviours, Movement Disturbance, Language, seizures, Intelligence, Accessibility, Tics

With Tidings of Struggles and Joy

This is a short post to wish all of you a happy holiday and New Year. Adam and I have had such a wonderful year – his wish now to write a book and all that progress with his typing. Finally out of the clutches of autism schools that haven’t...

Published Mon, Dec 29 2014 9:55 AM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Activism, Critical Disability Studies, Inclusion, Discrimination, Acceptance, Joy, communication, ABA, Community, Human Rights

My Son’s Good News Journalism

Today I received a call from the school (a good call) that Adam was upset. After given the chance to type about why he was upset, he was talking about the news and of justice. He is beginning to learn about Martin Luther King. He wrote at school: “People...

Published Tue, Jan 13 2015 2:24 PM by Estée Klar

Filed under: communication, autism, Parenting, Inspiration

Adam’s Disability Poem

A Disability Poem By: Adam Wolfond big stairs laugh at him.. Because hard to go up when you got just a wheelchair to get around in.. I think the long road will be hard for him to travel.. He feels like people dont understand him.. I understand him like...

Published Thu, Jan 15 2015 12:20 PM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Poetry

Mental ability and the Discourse of Disease – another comment on a Globe & Mail article on “Treating the Brain and the Immune System in Tandem”

Again, the suggestion that mental illness – an umbrella term under which autism has also been thrust – is discussed in terms of biological disease. Says the Globe & Mail this morning: “It probably brings us closer to hammering in the...

Published Mon, Jan 19 2015 8:36 AM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Inclusion, Ethics, Discrimination, Research, Media, Disability History, The Autism Genome Project, Newgenics, Critical Disability Theory, NEugenics, Science, Identity, What is Disability?, Intelligence, Accessibility, Eugenics, Institutionalization

The Art of Autism

This video by Alison Ludkin, among other pieces of artwork and writings, can be found on Art of Autism – a site bringing the work of artists labeled with autism online. I suppose I chose it for my blog as Adam takes the train everyday to school...

Published Tue, Jan 20 2015 7:32 AM by Estée Klar

Filed under: Art, Acceptance, Inspiration

Autistic Mother Pride

This might be worked on some more… I’m writing today and flipping through my binder of writing. I found this unedited poem as part of a poetic essay I was attempting last year. Please note I am not well-versed in the art of poetry, but enjoy...

Published Thu, Jan 22 2015 8:18 AM by Estée Klar