I expect you’ve come across controversial headlines such as ‘cause for autism discovered’, which suggest that autism is a disease. You may have also heard narratives claiming that autism results from bad parenting or is merely a form of behaviour. Some of these stories have been repeated for so long that they continue to shape our understanding without us even realising it.

We are delighted to welcome back the newly appointed Dr. Joanna Grace, a sensory and inclusion specialist, to discuss ‘The stories we tell about autism’ in our 250th episode.

“I've repeated that story to parents, there's been somebody in the room who has been approached by a stranger, usually in supermarkets, sometimes on trains, and told that if you just hit your child more, they wouldn't be autistic.”

Dr Joanna Grace

The stories we embrace shape our actions. If we frame autism as a sickness, we seek a cure; if we see it as a behavioural issue, we look for consequences. By recognising the stories we tell and the narratives surrounding us, we can question their foundations and, when necessary, shift to a more supportive perspective.

Autism has been described in various ways over the years, and many of the old ways of talking about autism survive in our current day conversations. These can be misleading. When we look to better support autistic people, we need to be sure of the foundations we build from.

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Joanna Grace is a sensory engagement and inclusion specialist, doctoral researcher, author, trainer, TEDx speaker and Founder of The Sensory Projects.

Joanna has worked with people with learning disabilities and neurodivergent conditions aged from 0-100 (well 1 day old – 87 years old to be precise) in a range of settings and context.

Through all she does Joanna is seeking to contribute to a future where people are understood in spite of their differences.

www.TheSensoryProjects.co.uk

www.Facebook.com/JoannaGraceTSP

https://x.com/Jo3Grace

sensorystory@gmail.com

Autism: behaviour or neurotype? session with Jo Grace

Books

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