The Contributions of Wenn Lawson

 

Wenn Lawson is a psycholgist well known for for many things: One is he is trans-gender transitioning to male. The others are ideas about autism, being that he is on the spectrum himself. For example, Dr. Lawson has a theory he calls Single Attention and Associated Cognition in Autism (SAACA), which means an autistic person focuses on one subject as a time and channels it through on sense at a time. It all started when he added to the concept of monotropism when he wrote his doctoral thesis, and his book Passionate Mind. I have not had the opportunity to sit down and talk with him about is magnificent life, but it you want to read his story click here.

John Comegys and his Tucson Job Club, Part I

 

I sat down to talk with John Comegys, the facilitator of the Tucson Autism Job Club. John "inherited" the job  club from someone else in 2013 and it has been going on and off ever since. John has a special education and rehabilitation counseling background, which is good to have if a person is going to work with the autism community. John also has autism. Being on the specutrum and being a counselor helps with advocating for members.

A visit to the online and in-person versions of the Autism Job Club will show that it is a peer driven support system with John as the facilitator. Between 5-15 show up to John's Autism Job Clubs.

Next week this story will be continued as I review John's book about how to start autism job clubs.

The Plight of Elderly People with Autism

 

Elderly people on the autism spectrum have two predicaments. The impairement of autism and the various impairments that potentially come with old age.

Some autistics might develop dementia. Some autistics might have simple old age decline. Needless to say, two  or more special needs have  developed. We also need to see more specialists who will assist older people with autism.

I am 56 with diabetes and hypo-thyroidism, and also am autistic. What if I develop dementia too? There is currently very few professional counselors who are qualified to assist older adults with autism let alone elderly adults with autism. Counselors need to be trained to help such ailing ones.

Thanks for reading my post. Please leave a comment, whether you agree or disagree to drum up some discussion. Thank you!

Is It Person with Autism or Autistic Person, Part 2?

 

A person presented the strongest argument yet I have seen for calling autism a disorder and "person with autism." I should have realized this, as I am a mental health counselor. One of the criteria for autism in diagnostic manuals (DSM and ICD) is impairement. To be diagnosed with autism the person needs to be impaired to some extent. 

Now the DSM refers to social impairment, communicative impairement, and behavioral impairement. Despite what those advoates say,  who argue that autism is an identity and not a disorder, they have to contend with the fact that autism involves impairement.

Is It Person with Autism or Autistic Person, Part 1?

    A few weeks ago an autistic person took issue with the fact that I used "person with autism" and "autistic person" interchangeably. The autistic person said that saying "person with autism" was like saying a black person was a "person with blackness" or a gay person was like saying a "person with homosexuality." This is an age-old debate in the autism community of person-first vs identity-first language. Many parents prefer person or child with autism while many adult, particular those in the neurodiverity movement, prefer autistic person. Autism is an identity to those who prefer autistic person

    All these arguments are flawed.

1. It is not "black person", but African-   American. It is not person with    homosexuality, but gay, lesbian, bi, and transgender (LGBT or LGBTQ)

2. What the autistic person did was        discriminatory. To not want to have         anything to do with anyone because of one's choice of words is just pain            discriminatory. 

    The autistic person could claim they have freedom of speech or freedom of belief Article 30 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a pivotal document in international human rights, states, "Nothing in this declaration may be interpreted as for any  state, group, or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of the rights and freedoms set forth herein."

    For example, hate groups who sometimes preach overt or covert discrimination might claim free speech under articles 18 & 19, but that free speech is really aimed at the destruction of article 16 regarding discrimination based on region, race, or other opinion.

    So is it "person with autism," or "autistic person?" I do not think it matters because each person needs to decide for himself or herself what language they are going to use.

Thanks for reading my post. Please leave a comment, whether you agree or disagree to drum up some discussion. Thank you!

Children of the Stars

 

   The organization Autism China says that "autism and China are seldom heard together." Children with Autism in China are often called children of the stars. Some claim that the term is pejorative but it is not. It is a poetic, affectionate term referring to these autistic children. Children of the Stars is also the name of a 2007 50 minute long documentary about autistic children in the People's Republic of China at the Stars and Rain School, a school for autistic children. The documentary seems to not be available on DVD or streaming but the trailer can be found here.  

    The documentary follows 5 year old Feng Jia Wei and his parents who traveled across China to enroll their son in the school that is also the first NGO dedicated school to autistic children. A long synopsis of the documentary can be found here. Even more recently, new advances have been made in neuroscience using accupuncture in treating autistic children with co-occuring conditions.

    Nevertheless, The children of the stars is fraught with issues. The mother of Zi Han tells her story. The mother who chose to remain anonymous thought her world collapsed. The mother stated that children are often disallowed from participating in regular school with other children.

    In conclusion, let us embrace the children of the stars and adult autistics in China as we embrace the rest of the world's autistic children and adults.

Thanks for reading my post. Please leave a comment, whether you agree or disagree to drum up some discussion. Thank you!

Traveling with Children Who Have Autism: Does the TSA Cares Program Work?

 

    Traveling with autistic children, especially  when flying can be potentially probematic. For example, the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) has a TSA Cares program. Does the program work? TSA thinks is does. This is how it works. If a person with special needs, including autism needs an accomodation a request is submitted by phone or online at least 72 hours before the flight. Once arranged a pasenger support specialist will meet the parent and child at the ticketing area and perform the accomodation. There is a Reddit post where the poster had a positive experience with the TSA Cares program. 

    Organizations like the Washington Autism Alliance also looked favorably upon the TSA Cares program. TSA even has a notification card for those with special conditions. Despite the views some might have of TSA, whether negative or positive, the TSA Cares program works.

Thanks for reading my post. Please leave a comment, whether you agree or disagree to drum up some discussion. Thank you!

Training Law Enforcement Officers How To Respond to People With Autism-Does it Work?

I have participated in training law en-forcement (LE) and other first responders in what do when encountering people with autism. On Facebook I commented about it, and someone replied that it does not work and there is very little evidence for it. I asked what does the poster suggest. The poster replied that there should be mental health crisis response teams. What are the facts? Does the training of LE effect the treatment of autistic people? There is plenty of research demonstrating the lack of education of LE in handling encounters with autistic individuals (Gardner & Campbell, 2025; Sereno-Ferraro & Schuler, 2026; Hinkle & Lerman, 2023). It is true that there is not much research discussing the success of training of LE in interacting with autistics, but there is not evidence of the alternative of mental health crisis response teams. What needs to be done is research verifying whether training LE or crisis response teams will work.

References

Gardner, L & Campbell, J.M. (2025). Training law enforcement officers about    autism: evaluation of adding virtual        reality or stimulation to a traditional    training approach, 55(8), pp. 2643-       2650. Journal of Autism and             

Developmental Disorders

Hinkle, K.A. & Lerman, D.C. (2023). Pre-

paring law enforcement to engage

successfully with individuals with autism spectrum disorder: an evaluation of a performance-based approach, 53(3), 887-900. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities

Sereno-Ferraro, A & Schuler, R. A.        (2026). Evaluating community-inormed training module for autism recontion in policing, 33(2) 409-429. Psychology, psychiatry, and Law. 

Things To Do for Mental Health Awareness Month

    

    May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Here are some things that can be done throughout May:

1.  Community wellness events.

2.  Create a peer support program.

3.  Film screenings that feature mental         health topics.

4.  Create a mental health resource             corner.

5.  Create a self-care program.

6.  Create a hashtag campaign.

7.  Mental Health Workshops.

8.  Donate to mental health charities.

9.  Start an exercise program, which is         good for mental health.

10. Start a mindfulness program, which is       good for mental health.

11. Children, teens and adults can keep a       journal.

12. Children, teens and adults can read         for pleasure.

13. Volunteer locally.

14. Create art with a mental health                 theme.

15. Advocate for mental health policy 

      change.

16. Read and share books with a mental       health theme.

17. Create mental health-safe work              places.

18. Encourage mental health intervention       throughout the lifespan.

19. Improve employee wellbeing.

20. Do some outreach about mental                health.

21. Create a relaxation room.

22. Connect with someone you love.

23. Do things that make you laugh like          watch comedy.

24. Be kind and preach kindness.

25. Seek help from a licensed mental

      health professional, if needed. 

26. Engage in a hobby.

27. Practice gratitude.

This list applies equally well to those with or without autism. Autism is not a mental health issue, but autistics many times do have simultaneous mental health ailments at the same time. Let's create awareness for mental health wellness, including those with autism, during the month of May.

Movie and Event Review: The Reason I Jump and event at the Loft in Tucson, Arizona

On April 30 there was a viewing of the documentary The Reason Why I Jump at the Loft Cinema in Tucson, Arizona. The Reason Why I Jump is an excellent film that described the world of the person with nonverbal autism. I was not able to attend the event, but I did watch the movie through a different venue. The movie review website Rotten Tomatoes gives The Reason Why I Jump 97% and it has won several awards, such as the Audience Award for World Cinema-Documentary at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, Best Documentary at the 2020 Denver Film Festival, the Best Foreign Film as the Rome Film Festival among other film festivals, and a the book the documentary is adapted from is a New York Times Best Seller.

    The Reason Why I Jump is based on the autobiography by a thirteen year old Japanese boy Naoki Higashida, and translated into English by Keiko Yoshido and her husband David Mitchell being published in English by Random House.

    The Book has not been without controversy though. Organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association have espoused the method of communication used to facilitate communication to transmit the book is pseudoscience. Doctor and parent of a child with autism also claim the communication methods used to write the book are a myth.

        Despite the controversy and oddness surrounding The Reason Why I Jump, regardless of who the author was of the book, the book and documentary feature do a great job at describing the element of nonverbal autism

    Please leave a comment, whether you agree or disagree to drum up discussion of the post topic.

The ARC of the United States

Seal of Approval

The ARC of the United States is a Washington D.C. based organization that was started in the 1950s that stands apart from other autism organizations. In 2019, Consumer Reports rated the ARC of the United Stated one of the top organizations under the mental health and disabilities category. The ARC of the United States was originally called the National Association for Retarded Children (NARC). Then changed to National Association for Retarded Citizens. In 1992 the National Association for Retarded Citizens assumed its present name the ARC doing away with the pejorative use of the word retarded. 

The ARC of the United States has over 500 chapters in every state except Maine. The ARC of the United States gets a thumbs up; way up 👍

Autism Awareness Day 2026 for Those on the Autism Spectrum

 

Every year, autism awareness month comes around, but have you stopped to think that for people with autism, every day is autism awareness day? 

Autism is not a single condition but a collection of conditions. That is why autism is called a spectrum condition.

Despite this, many neurotypicals are not autism-friendly, and this includes many who are autism advocates. These so-called advocates either do not understand or do not care about the emotional makeup of those on the spectrum.

I have personally experienced this. A facilitator for an autism parent group was belligerent towards me and gossiped about me to her members. This behavior is just unacceptable for someone in the autism advocacy arena. 

These people need to be educated about the emotional makeup of many of those on the spectrum. These people need a little autism awareness.

Autism Awareness for Advocates

What are some ways advocates could be more aware of autism?

• Being aware of the emotional makeup of various people on the autism spectrum.

• Not being belligerent to a person on the spectrum.

• Being more aware of the characteristics of autism, provided the person on the spectrum is not being intentionally rude.

• Educating the person on the spectrum in the spirit of kindness.

• Never bully someone on the spectrum (or anyone else, for that matter).

How can an autism advocate create awareness to others when he or she needs to be first educated about autism awareness?

Autism Awareness Day 2026

April 2nd  is Autism Awareness Day. Every life, including those with autism, has value. This day's observance, per the UN, is titled Autism and Humanity-Every Life Has Value. Resolution UN Res/62/139 was adopted on December 18, 2007, and started on April 2, 2008, to be designated as Autism Awareness Day.

Autism and Human Rights

In line with this year’s UN theme, it might be in order to discuss the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

The first article sets the tone for the rest of the Declaration. "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in the spirit of brotherhood." Some people tend to shout about their rights while at the same time forgetting about the rights of others. 

I am a firm believer in human rights, and I believe all human rights matter, provided that the right being espoused is not aimed at the denigration of the rights of another person or population.

Past UN Celebrations

The UN has worked hard to create awareness for autism events. The past five events have focused on:

• Advancing Neurodiversity and  the UN Sustainable Development Goals (2025).

• Moving from Thriving to Surviving: Autistic Individuals Share Regional Perspectives (2024).

• Transformation: Toward a Neuro-inclusive World for All (2023). 

• Inclusive-Quality Education for All (2022).

• Inclusion in the Workplace: Challenges and Opportunities in a Post-pandemic World (2021).

• Assistive Technologies, Active Participation (2019).

The UN has been a wonderful advocate in creating autism awareness

Ways Neurotypicals Can 

Create Autism Awareness

• Set up a booth at any of the Autism Society's annual autism events and invite others to participate with you.

• Invite others to join you at the UN autism streaming event.

• Have a gathering on or near Autism Awareness Day and invite those on the autism spectrum.

• Give a speech at an autism organization.

• Create an autism website or blog

• Start an autism awareness charity

• Write an essay, article, or book

• Join the board of an autism charity

• Start a business that caters to the autism community.

• Become an autism-life coach

• Start a public access TV or radio program aimed at an autism community audience.

• Start a social media site that creates autism awareness.

• Use bumper stickers that create autism awareness.

• Include a person with autism in an activity.

In conclusion, what can you do to promote autism awareness on Autism Awareness Day? Do any of the suggestions give any ideas? Do you have any of your own ideas? Do not forget autism rights are human rights, and promote autism awareness, not only on April 2nd, but throughout April, or try something better: promote it day after day after day throughout the year.

Our Next Support Group meeting

 This week the support group will be Saturday 4 April 2026 at 1:00 pm.  This week we will be meeting at the Eegees located at 243 E Speedway Blvd. The closest street is 5th ave. This week will be an open forum. We now have a Google Meet link for those that have an issue leaving their home. It will be up at this meeting. Please see this message's footer for the link. The Inaugral issue of the newsletter will be released the second Saturday of every month. Tomorrow is also Autism Awareness Day. Enjoy!

See you then

Regards, 

John

Support community location: 243 E Speedway Blvd, Tucson, AZ
Community Office Phone: (520) 314-6896
Community web site: www.tucsonautismadvocacy.org
Community  social   networking site: https://www.meetup.com/Tucson-Adult-Autism-Support-.
Google Meet link: To join the video meeting, click this link: https://meet.google.com/hnz-opbt-mos

April is Nation Autism Awareness Month

 

Next Support Group Meeting

 Hello everyone,

This week the support group will be Saturday 21 March 2026 at 1:00 pm.  This week we will be meeting at the Eegees located at 243 E Speedway Blvd. The closest street is 5th ave. This week will be an open forum. We now have a Google Meet link for those that have an issue leaving their home. It will be up at this meeting. Please see this message's footer for the link.

See you then

Regards, 

John

Support community location: 243 E Speedway Blvd, Tucson, AZ

Community Office Phone: (520) 314-6896

Community web site: www.tucsonautismadvocacy.org

Community  social   networking site: https://www.meetup.com/Tucson-Adult-Autism-Support-.

Google Meet link: To join the video meeting, click this link: https://meet.google.com/hnz-opbt-mos

We need more than Autism Awareness--We Need inclusion

     April 2 is Autism Awareness Day and has been so since 2007 when the United Nations general assembly passed a resolution confirming April 2 as World Autism Day. Autism Awareness once a year is not enough autism awareness. We need autism Inclusion 365.

    As the name indicates, we practice not simple autism awareness but autism inclusion 365 days a year. How does that work? Include autistic people in the group. Develop a developmentally diverse group with neurotypicals and various developmental diversities. Developmental Diversity and inclusion take autism awareness to the next step because being aware of autism are not good enough. We must include them in our communities.

    What types of things can we do to be more inclusive? We can do all sorts of things to bring autism awareness, but inclusiveness is the next step. Are autistics included in the classroom or segregated? Are autistics included in everyday social activities? Remember that there may be an autistic in your community or small group.

    

Links

Press Release on UN Proposal

Press Release on UN Adoption

Press Release First Autism Awareness Day