Autchat solicits topic requests from our participants at the end of most chats. Here are the topics currently on request, broken down by categories. If you want to request another topic, or volunteer to write questions for a topic, DM or tweet @autchatmod on twitter or email autchatmod@gmail.com.
See the main page for a list of scheduled topics.
Topics not yet scheduled that are likely to happen at some point:
- Lack of recognition for underrepresented groups (people of color, women and girls)
- Relationship to family of origin
- Alienating people: What do we learn, what’s on us, what’s on them
- Presumption of competence
- Heat intolerance (tentatively planned for early summer 2018)
Topics we’ll have only if someone with relevant experience volunteers to write or help write questions (interested? reply to/DM @autchatmod, or email autchatmod@gmail.com):
- Motor differences
- Autistic cousins (people who share significant experiences with autistic people—hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, etc)
- Epilepsy/seizures
- How power of attorney is used as a control device
There are also some topics that have been requested, but are on hold for various reasons:
- Abuse and neglect, including effects on relationships in adulthood (possibly separate topics for parental, childhood peers, workplace, social situations as an adult). These are difficult and often triggering topics, and I’m struggling with how to do this effectively. I also want to get something useful we can take away from chats and I don’t know how to approach that; it’s a huge issue in our communities, and effective treatments are usually inaccessible or don’t exist.
- Functioning labels: Not sure what questions to ask…might do a “Met and unmet support needs” chat
- What does it seem like the general public thinks autism is?: Not sure what questions to ask
- Using (loving, working, advocating for) services at multiple levels/settings: Not sure what kinds of questions to ask
- How we can bring autistic and non-autistic people together: Need to better define to write questions – is this about social events? Advocacy? Something else?
- Why are our lives shorter than average: I’m not sure we can effectively draw answers to this from individual peoples’ experiences, this might be more of a research question)
- Life hacks / tools for success: Very broad topic, will incorporate as specific questions on other topics (e.g., “what helps you with planning grocery shopping?”)
- Life/communication skills: Very broad topic, will incorporate as specific questions on other topics
- What about being autistic/neurodivergent helps you: Very broad topic, will incorporate as specific questions on other topics