Autism is often framed as a social deficit, but many autistic communication differences reflect cultural mismatch rather than impairment. Drawing on Erin Meyer’s cultural frameworks and the double empathy problem, this article explores how dominant social norms define competence, shape diagnosis, and create barriers to work and care — and why inclusion requires mutual adaptation, not correction.

Explore how the Industrial Revolution pathologized human difference. Learn to decolonize autism by centering Indigenous frameworks like takiwātanga and pîtoteyihtam.

This was originally posted to Medium on 6/23/2025 https://medium.com/@morgannecrouser/masking-the-neurodivergent-extreme-sport-f360bbe5b086 Masking is one of those words that carries a lot of weight, especially for neurodivergent people. At its core, masking means changing one’s natural or instinctive behavior — intentionally or unconsciously — to better fit the expectations of the neurotypical world. It can show up in subtle ways, like softening a vocal inflection, scripting

In trauma theory, anti-oppressive practice, and disability justice, one truth keeps resurfacing: the body already knows what it needs, but culture keeps getting in the way. Stimming—rocking, flapping, tapping, humming, pacing, chewing, spinning, fidgeting—is one of the clearest examples. It is an act of self-regulation, expression, and sensory equilibrium, and yet it is one of the most policed behaviors in neurodivergent bodies. To understand why stimming is pathologized inst