Emily Paige Ballou is an old Millennial from the Midwest who currently lives and works in NYC, where she primarily stage manages off-Broadway new plays and new musicals, including works such as the Hello Girls with Prospect Theater Company, Nikola Tesla Drops the Beat at the Adirondack Theatre Festival, and Rose with Nora's Playhouse. She graduated from the University of Georgia, where she was also a member of the Demosthenian Literary Society. Previous publications include pieces in the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism, The Real Experts: Readings for Parents of Autistic Children, NeuroQueer, Barking Sycamores, and Fuckit: A Zine.Sharon daVanport lives in the Midwest by way of their home state of Texas where they spent young adulthood writing short stories, poetry and serving as co-editor of their academic newspaper. After nearly a decade in social work, Sharon founded the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network (AWN). Appointed by their state's board of education, Sharon served a full term on the SILC board of directors. Publications include co-authoring a paper in Sage Pub Autism Journal, a chapter in Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement: Stories from the Front Line, and pieces in Welcome to the Autistic Community, and Disability Visibility Project.Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, MA, is a global self-advocate, educator, parent and disabled person of color in a neurodiverse, multicultural, serodifferent family. A prolific writer, public speaker, and social scientist/activist whose work focuses on meaningful community involvement, human rights, justice, and inclusion, Morénike is a Humanities Scholar at Rice University's Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality and a member of several executive boards. Publications include: Knowing Why: Adult-Diagnosed Autistic People on Life and Autism, All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism, and various peer-reviewed articles. Learn more at: .Autistic Women's Network, renamed Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network, (AWN), was founded as the first organization that focused on Autistic women, girls, and nonbinary people. They are an essential resource for autistic people, parents, and allies for dispelling stereotypes and misinformation around autism. More information can be found awnnetwork.org.
ForewordJess WilsonLetter from the EditorsEarly Memories, Childhood, and Education1Acknowledge Vulnerability; Presume CompetenceB. Martin Allen2It's Us Against the World, KidBrigid Rankowski3What Autistic Girls Wish Their Parents Knew About FriendshipJane Strauss4What Your Daughter Deserves: Love, Safety, and the TruthKassiane Asasumasu5What I Wish You KnewKatie Levin6Change the World, Not Your ChildLei Wiley-Mydske7Empathy and Non-Verbal CuesDusya Lyubovskaya8The First Time I Heard of AutismAnonymous9What I Wish My Parents Knew About Being Their Autistic DaughterHeidi Wangelin10A Particular Way of BeingKaren LeanAcceptance and Adaptation11A Daughter's Journey: Lessons, Honesty, and LoveJennifer St. Jude12Still Your ChildOndrea Marisa Robinson13Perfect in an Imperfect WorldHaley Moss14Who Gets to Be Diagnosed? And Who Does It Serve?Victoria M. Rodríguez-Roldán15UnconventionalAmythest Schaber16I Wish I Wasn't So Hard on Myself Back ThenKayla Smith17Ten Things I Wish My Parents Had Known When I Was Growing UpAmelia "Mel" Evelyn Voicy Baggs18I Am an Autistic WomanAmy Sequenzia19The View from Outside the WindowHW20Finding Me: The Journey to AcceptanceMorénike Giwa Onaiwu21Autism, Self-Acceptance, and HopeLynne SorayaIntersectional Identity and Finding Community22Keep Her Safe; Let Her Fly FreeMaxfield Sparrow23Tell Me I'm AutisticAnonymous24Autism, Sensory Experiences, and Family CultureMallory Cruz25Safe Harbors in a Difficult WorldKayla Rodriguez26Give Your Daughters Autistic CommunityJean Winegardner27A Parents' Guide to Being Transgender and AutisticAlexandra Forshaw28On Surviving Loneliness and Isolation, and Learning to Live with LossLydia X. Z. Brown29There's a PlaceEmily Paige BallouConclusionBeth RyanAbout the EditorsContributorsAcknowledgmentsNotes
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