The image is the cover of a book titled "Juliette's Sensory City." The subtitle reads "A Short Story About Sensory Differences." The author is Juliette Gudknecht. The cover illustration features a young girl with light brown hair, smiling and sticking out her tongue, standing in a park with a pond, a bench, trees, and a city skyline in the background. The overall scene is bright and cheerful, suggesting a story aimed at children.

Our new ANSWER rep, Juliette Gudknecht, has released "Juliette's Sensory City," a children's book about sensory processing differences. Inspired by her own experiences as an Autistic person, this story empowers those who experience their sensory world differently.
Get your copy here: a.co/d/gUqduyv

Science needs neurodiversity All brains work differently. Individuals process information and engage with the world in ways that are influenced by a multitude of biological, cultural, and social factors. In the world of science, ...

H. Holden Thorp’s Editorial on Neurodiversity: Science Editor-in-Chief shares his late autism diagnosis, underscoring the need for neurodiversity in science leadership. His story highlights how embracing neurological differences fosters innovation. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

The flyer announces a "Call For Proposals" by ANSWER Scholars, offering up to $10,000 USD per awardee for topics related to autism. It specifies that applicants should be autistic or on the autism spectrum and be either current doctoral students or health care professionals. The deadline for submissions is April 30th, 2024. There's an illustration of two people, one seated with a laptop and the other standing with a chart, and a QR code at the bottom with the instruction "Scan This for more information".

ANSWER is now accepting proposals for a chance to receive up to $10,000 USD in funding for innovative autism-related projects. Deadline to submit: April 30th, 2024
For more details, scan the QR code on the flyer or visit our website: airpnetwork.ucla.edu/about/answer.

A woman with light skin and shoulder-length blond hair is smiling at the camera. She is wearing glasses with a rectangular blue frame and a black shirt with a floral pattern. The background consists of lush greenery, possibly a garden or a park, with soft sunlight filtering through the foliage.

Meet Alex Newson. Alex is a doctoral student at the University of Oregon and a former special education teacher. Alex is pioneering research on the role of autistic educators in the academy and is the proud recipient of an OSEP-funded leadership grant. Learn more: lnkd.in/euTb_7Dj

The image is a professional profile card for Patrick Dwyer, PhD. It includes a photo of Dr. Dwyer, a man with short dark hair, wearing a dark collared shirt, and smiling at the camera. Surrounding the photo are four interconnected circular outlines in orange and blue, with labels "Sensory," "Attention," "Developmental Psychology," and "Neurodiversity," indicating his research interests. Below the image, there is text that reads: "Patrick Dwyer, PhD, Research Fellow, Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC), La Trobe University, EMAIL: patrick.dwyer@latrobe.edu.au, Editor in Chief AIR-P Cureus Channel." The design and layout suggest an informational graphic used for an academic or professional introduction.

Meet Dr. Patrick Dwyer, autistic Research Fellow and ANSWER's Communications Co-Director. His work at La Trobe University includes using various methods to explore sensory processing and attention in autism, including diversity of sensory profiles and impacts of sensory spaces.

Person- and identity-first language in autism research: A systematic analysis of abstracts from 11 autism journals - Matthew Carl Zajic, Juliette Gudknecht, 2024 We examined the use of person- and identity-first language (PFL, IFL) in scholarly writing about autism by reviewing 12,962 journal abstracts from 11 autism res...

A new systematic analysis study analyzing 12,962 abstracts for language trends in autism research. It shows a shift from person-first to identity-first language, reflecting evolving perspectives in scholarly writing about autism. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Professional headshot of Dr. Jenny Mai Phan, a Research Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Children's National Hospital. She is smiling in front of a blurred background of greenery. Adjacent to her image are four interconnected dotted line circles, highlighting her research interests: Hormones & Behavior, Adolescent Development, Developmental Psychology, and Stress Response Systems. Below her photo is her name and title, email address, and her role as Communications Director, all overlaid on a contrasting background.

Meet Dr. Jenny Mai Phan, ANSWER's Communications Co-Director. Dr. Phan studies adolescence in neurodiverse youths, focusing on mental health and sexual health education. Her work emphasizes advocacy for marginalized groups in autism, particularly in creating accessible, inclusive resources.

New study on "Trans-diagnostic investigation of attention, hyper-focus, and monotropism in autism, attention dysregulation hyperactivity development, and the general population." Article: journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10....

Meet Dr. Jackie Ryan, ANSWER's Co-Director of Training and Mentorship. She's investigating autonomy in autistic adults with intellectual disabilities using methods like Photovoice. At the Centre for Autism Services Alberta, she created a post-secondary program for autism, emphasizing independence.

Meet Dr. Calliope Holingue, ANSWER Training and Mentorship Co-Director. She is an assistant professor at the Center for Autism at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research interest is in the gut-brain connection in autistic and neurodivergent people.

Zachary J. "Zack" Williams is a MD/PhD Candidate in the Department of Hearing and Speech Services at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He has research interests in statistics and methodology, measure development, auditory processing, and psychiatric disorders.

Meet Zachary "Zack" Williams, ANSWER's Vice-Chair. Zack is an MD/PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Graduate Program and Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences at Vanderbilt University. His research focuses on the phenomenon of decreased sound tolerance in autistic people.

A profile picture of Dr. Heather Brown smiling with her arms crossed. The image states that she is the Chair of ANSWER. Her areas of work include campus belonging, co-design, written expression, and impression management. Dr. Brown is an Associate Professor and Faculty of Education at University of Alberta. Her email address is heather2@alberta.ca.

Meet Dr. Heather Brown, ANSWER's Chair. She is an autistic professional who studies autism. Her research focuses on examining what it means to “thrive” for individuals on the spectrum. She aims to create reasonable expectations around what it means to function adaptively with autism.

"Together We Roar: A Short Story About Autism" by Juliette Gudknecht! "Together We Roar" is a vibrant journey through the eyes of Mouse, an autistic character who sees the world in his own unique way. Available where books are sold, including Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B0CX34Y9W....

Neurodivergent at Columbia

On April 26, Neurodivergent at Columbia and TC's Students with Disabilities Affinity Group are hosting a full day of seminars to foster community understanding around autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, and other related conditions. For more details and registration: tinyurl.com/neurocu24

Launching the ANSWER Scholars Program for autistic doctoral students and healthcare professionals in innovative research focused on autism and health. Grants up to $10,000 USD. Apply by April 30, 2024. Learn more: bit.ly/3wdq3fS

Applications must be submitted by April 30, 2024.
Detailed information and the Request for Applications (RFA) can be found at our website: airpnetwork.ucla.edu/about/answer...

A maximum of $10,000.00 USD per awardee.
Funds are meant for operating costs of the research project (note: these are not scholarship funds and cannot be used for salary/stipend support).
The program emphasizes the significance of research that resonates with and benefits the autistic community.

Support & Mentorship: The program provides not only funding but also valuable career mentorship.
For Whom?: Open to autistic doctoral students conducting thesis research in fields related to autism and health, and autistic physicians or other healthcare professionals involved in clinical research.

The AIR-P ANSWER Scholars Program is offering an incredible opportunity for autistic doctoral students and healthcare professionals engaged in autism research. This initiative is designed to support research projects that contribute to the health and well-being of autistic individuals.

The deadline to apply has been extended to February 12, 2024.

We're excited to announce open positions for ANSWER Representatives within the Autism Intervention Network on Physical Health (AIR-P)! This is a unique opportunity for autistic and neurodivergent scholars to contribute scientific rigor with lived experiences.

See threaded comments for more info.

Remuneration for ANSWER Reps:
$2500 USD per year or $625 USD per quarter
We expect time commitments to amount to approximately 50 hours per year. Rates were calculated based on the rate of ~$50/hour.

🤝 Become an ANSWER Rep:
-This is more than a position; it's a chance to be at the forefront of meaningful change in autism research.
-As part of our team, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping research that resonates with and benefits the autistic community.

🌐 Position Information:
Detailed information on the roles, responsibilities, and stipend for the positions can be found on the AIR-P website: airpnetwork.ucla.edu/about/answer...

📄 Application Details:
-Deadline: Midnight (PST) on Jan 31, 2024.
-Submit to: AIRP@mednet.ucla.edu.
-Include: Cover letter / personal statement, current CV, 2-3 references, and your completed Node / Committee Preference Table.

📢 We're Looking For:
-Passionate individuals who are eager to contribute to autism research.
-A commitment to fostering inclusive and impactful scientific inquiry.

As a collective of autistic & neurodivergent researchers, we combine rigorous scientific methods with lived experiences, aiming to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world experiences of autistic people. Our focus is to promote research that supports our physical health & well-being.

We're excited to announce open positions for ANSWER Representatives within the Autism Intervention Network on Physical Health (AIR-P)! This is a unique opportunity for autistic and neurodivergent scholars to contribute scientific rigor with lived experiences.

See threaded comments for more info.

Exciting launch! ANSWER by AIR-P is here, bringing autistic & neurodivergent scholars' expertise in autism research. A leap in inclusive, impactful science! Learn more here: airpnetwork.ucla.edu/about/answer

#AIR-P #ANSWER #AutismResearch #Inclusion