Family Resources


Connection to Disability Communities

Autistic children and their caregivers can benefit from a connection to disability communities. Here are some organizations that are led by disabled people, to follow on social media and to learn from: 

7 v like shapes that are red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple and red rotate to jointly create a circle like shape with a hollow center.
An image of a AAC device in a circle shape.
An image of a person whose mask has been moved away from their face. The words "Autistics Unmasked" is written on the person's brown skin. The face and mind of the person are colorful and decorative.
The words "Autism Inclusivity" are in the center of a collage of three tall photos making up a circle shape. The photos appear to be of food and drinks and sensory objects.

  • The Autistic People of Color Fund
    (Fighting, Building, & Sustaining for Justice, Healing, & Liberation.)
    AutismAndRace.com

Three blue fists are being raised upwards with a blue background.
A small letter "a' is pink with a dragonfly hovering over it on the upper left.

  • Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network, Inc.
    (Community support, and resources.)
    AWNnetwork.org

  • NeuroClastic
    (The Autism Spectrum According to Autistic People.)
    Neuroclastic.com

The words "NeuroClastic" are in white in the foreground. In the background is a large detailed red bird wing with a black background.

  • Super Nova Parenting
    (Empowering caregivers of families facing mental illness and/or intellectual developmental disabilities.)
    supernovaparenting.org

A woman in yellow and gold with flowing hair is pregnant. Her stomach has decorative lines radiating from it to resemble a sun, with a small baby in the center who is also golden.
The words "Thinking Person's Guide Autism" are seen through a circle opening and some of the words are partially or fully hidden. The colors are white, black and red.

Autistic Authors

  • Start Here a Guide for Parents of Autistic Kids (ASAN, 2021).

  • Autism Books by Autistic Authors for all ages (also includes books not specifically about autism).
    autismbooksbyautisticauthors.com

  • Loud Hands: Autistic People Speaking (edited by Julia Bascom, 2012).

  • Sincerely Your Autistic Child (Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network, 2021).

  • A Guide to Understanding Your Autistic Child (Autistic Science Person, 2021)

Autistic Representation

Disability History

Pursuing a Late Diagnosis

  • “Am I Autistic? Your Guide To Self-Evaluation And Navigating The Clinical Assessment Process” by Autistics Unmasked.

Student Supports

Advocate For

  • MA Bill H.180, “An Act Regarding the use of Aversive Therapy”.
    If passed it would ban the use of aversives on disabled people. Also, all MA residents regardless of disability would have the same protections against physical harm.

  • Federal H.R.3474 - “Keeping All Students Safe Act” 117th Congress (2021-2022). If passed, this bill would prohibit the use of seclusion and limit the use of physical restraint in schools and Head Start programs that receive federal funding.

Advocate With

  • The Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint
    Their mission is to inform changes in policy and practice to reduce and eliminate the use of punitive discipline and outdated behavioral management approaches and end the school-to-prison pipeline.

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