Autism research tends to focus more on causation and cures than on helping existing autistic community members. From both practical and basic rights perspectives, this needs to change. Too many core autistic needs are still under-researched, and, as a result, proper supports and understanding are too often lacking. We are hoping to help autism research better serve the interests of autistic people, and more fully address the research matters autistic people want addressed. With this in mind, #AutIMFAR is meant to connect autistic communities with autism research communities directly, during IMFAR, the International Meeting for Autism Research. Such conversations don't happen often enough at IMFAR due to a variety of barriers: cost, sensory bomb conference environment, having to face people who don’t see why they shouldn’t aim to cure or normalize autistic people, travel stress, etc.
If you are an autistic person who is interested in autism research and/or an autism researcher, we hope you will participate in #AutIMFAR.
#AutIMFAR Details
Time: Thursday, May 11, 5:30 - 6:30pm PST/8:30 - 9:30pm EST. Participating: Follow the Twitter hashtag twitter.com/hashtag/AutIMFAR. Alternatively, Twitter chat platforms like TweetChat and Twubs can simplify following these hashtag-based conversations. Questions will be asked as "Q1" etc; please answer using "A1" etc. Partners: The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), NOS Magazine, autchat, Autism Women's Network (AWN), and Thinking Person's Guide to Autism (TPGA).