Resources:
Note: I link to individual articles & practices that I have found personally helpful, but I do not otherwise endorse the views of authors, organizations, or other clinicians within larger practices.
Local Neurodivergent-affirming Care (DC, MD, VA):
The Stixrud Group: A comprehensive neuropsychology practice in Silver Spring, MD for children and adults, with special expertise in subtle presentations of autism. The practice has many clinicians and evaluators, and I’ve had very positive experiences with everyone I’ve consulted with there: Dr. Jesse Brand, Dr. Donna Henderson, and Dr. Katia Fredericksen (pediatric).
Seven Corners Psychotherapy: Excellent ND-affirming practice in Northern VA specializing in general and specific types of therapy. I can personally recommend owner/founder Jennifer Glacel, who is also autistic and puts every other therapist I’ve been to in the past to shame. She just gets it, period, & she is particularly adept at gently/compassionately highlighting & getting past your own self-delusions & unhelpful internal narratives. While she is not taking new clients at this time, I would trust her to recommend the right clinician at her practice.
Guiding Exceptional Parents: Sarah Wayland, PhD. is just about the most insightful, warm, and understanding person I’ve met, with a wealth of personal and professional experience with neurodivergent children (and adults). She has a gift for compassion and empathy and truly makes parents feel seen.
Washington Interdisciplinary Neurodiversity Group (WING): A brand-new non-profit resource group of ND-Affirming professionals seeking to broaden community, connectedness, and care opportunities for ND individuals.
Other Great Blogs/Websites:
Neurodivergent Insights: Blog/website of Dr. Neff, an AuDHD clinician.
Authentically Emily: A young AuDHD woman talks about autism and mental health.
For Autistic Adults:
Facilitate Joy!: A neurodivergent-run support practice based in Nevada but helping ND people virtually around the world. BIPOC- & Queer-affirming.
Embrace Autism: An autistic-run practice & information resource for autistic adults, including assessment resources to help in self-assessment.
Autistic Self Advocacy Network: by and for autistic people, “We seek to organize the autistic community to ensure our voices are heard in the national conversation about us. Nothing About Us, Without Us!”
Sally Cat PDA: An insightful personal blog by an adult with PDA in autism (Pervasive Drive for Autonomy, formerly Pathological Demand Avoidance).
For Parents & Family:
Autistic Girls Network: “Our mission is two-fold. To campaign for better recognition and diagnosis of autistic girls and non-binary young people and to support them in finding their identity and feeling understood.”
Start Here: A guide for parents of autistic kids
NeuroBears: A course for Autistic kids and their families
Books:
My Top 5: We’re Not Broken by Eric Garcia; Is This Autism? A Guide for Clinicians and Everyone Else by Donna Henderson & Sarah Wayland, w/Jamell White; Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person by Cathy Wassell; The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida; The Awesome Autistic Go-to Guide: A Practical Handbook for Autistic Teens and Tweens by Yenn Purkis & Tanya Masterman.
This excellent list off affirming books for kids and adults from The Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism.
List of positive books about autism compiled by Kieran Rose, author of Autistic Masking.
Books about autism with BIPOC authors.
Autistic Book Party reviews and lists.
