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Respecting Autistic Voices: Why Non-Autistic People Need to Stop Defining the Autistic Experience
The diversity of human experiences enriches our world, and embracing this diversity is essential for creating an inclusive and...
Amy Duffy-Barnes
Jul 28, 20233 min read
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Strategies to Enhance Executive Functioning Skills for ADHD / Neurodivergent People
1. Task Prioritization and Time Management: Create a daily or weekly to-do list, ranking tasks by urgency and importance. Use...
Amy Duffy-Barnes
Jul 20, 20232 min read
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Embracing Diversity: The Empowering Benefits of Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapy
Heartstone Guidance Center is a group of neurodivergent therapists providing neurodiversity-affirming therapy to other neurodivergent...
Amy Duffy-Barnes
Jul 20, 20233 min read
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Sensory Diets for Autistic People of All Ages
A sensory diet is a carefully planned and individualized set of sensory activities designed to provide comfort, regulation, and support...
Amy Duffy-Barnes
Jul 20, 20233 min read
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The Journey of Deconstructing and Reclaiming the Neurodivergent Self
Understanding False Self Constructs: False self constructs are external masks and personas that neurodivergent individuals adopt to fit...
Amy Duffy-Barnes
Jul 19, 20233 min read
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Understanding Double Empathy: Building Bridges between Autistic and Non-Autistic Individuals
In recent years, a concept called "double empathy" has gained recognition as a framework for understanding and improving the interactions...
Amy Duffy-Barnes
Jul 5, 20233 min read
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Understanding How Proprioception and Interoception Affect the Autistic Population
Proprioception and interoception are two lesser-known sensory systems that play crucial roles in our daily lives. While often...
Amy Duffy-Barnes
May 18, 20232 min read
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Neurodiversity-Affirming Meditation
Welcome, my fellow neurodivergent people, to this affirming meditation designed to honor your neurodivergency in a world that often fails...
Amy Duffy-Barnes
May 18, 20233 min read
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Motivation for Neurodivergent Individuals using INCUP: Overcoming Task Initiation Challenges
Neurodivergent individuals, such as those with autism or ADHD, often face challenges when it comes to motivation and task initiation....
Amy Duffy-Barnes
Apr 21, 20232 min read
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The Dark Origin Story of ABA "Therapy" Narrated by an Actually Autistic Therapist
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is a treatment widely used to modify behaviors in autistic individuals. However, many people in...
Amy Duffy-Barnes
Apr 21, 20233 min read
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A Neurodivergent's Guide to EF: An In-Depth Look at Different Types of Executive Functioning Skills
Executive functioning skills are a collection of cognitive processes that are responsible for managing and regulating our thoughts,...
Amy Duffy-Barnes
Apr 14, 20234 min read
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Autistic Accommodations and Legal Protections in the Workplace
I highly recommend that autistic people consider using ADA accommodations in their places of employment. As a therapist, I have heard...
Amy Duffy-Barnes
Apr 12, 20236 min read
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The Problem with Autism Awareness Month: An Autistic Person's Perspective
April is widely known as Autism Awareness Month, a time when many organizations and individuals strive to raise awareness about the...
Amy Duffy-Barnes
Apr 4, 20233 min read
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The Differences Between Autistic and Neurotypical Communication
Communication is a vital part of life, allowing us to interact with each other and build meaningful relationships. For neurotypicals and...
Amy Duffy-Barnes
Jan 20, 20233 min read
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The Autism Rights Movement
The autism rights movement is a growing effort to promote awareness, acceptance, and understanding of neurodiversity, led by autistic...
Amy Duffy-Barnes
Jan 12, 20232 min read
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Autism and Heightened Threat Awareness
Don't expect a lot of mundane chitter-chatter when there are so many delightful, intense and in-depth topics of meaning that your...
Amy Duffy-Barnes
Jan 11, 20233 min read
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Why Autistic Masking is Harmful
As an autistic person who wasn't diagnosed until later in life, I have struggled with unmasking myself or even finding my authentic self...
Amy Duffy-Barnes
Jan 6, 20232 min read
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