I’m Aviva, a parent of 8, passionate about autistic rights, stopping quackery, autism acceptance and gaming.
September 23 is the International Day of Sign Languages. I have been signing since I was young. Not because my parents did the right thing and teach me but because I couldn't communicate so a classmate taught me in school. Oralism causes so much mental health issues, sign languages need to be recognized. This day… Continue reading International Day of Sign Languages
Yesterday my partner and I had to opportunity to participate in a district event called CLAW. It is an event where leaders teach different belt loops. Belt loops are advancements for cub scouts. The sessions were about 20 minutes. The one we chose was Cubs Who Care. That is the disability awareness one. They said… Continue reading Teaching Scouts to Interact with Disabled People Benefits Everyone
It is common knowledge that I am autistic, Hard of Hearing and have ADHD. I am quite vocal about this. A few things people may not know is that I am sensitive to sound and have auditory processing disorder. How can someone be Hard of Hearing and be sensitive to sound and have auditory processing… Continue reading Hard of Hearing, Sensitive to Sound and Auditory Processing Disorder? How is that Possible?
It is no secret that I was born Deaf. Even though my parents shielded me from the Deaf community, I was very involved as a child. American Sign Language was banned from our home. A teacher and child taught me signs from when I was very young. I had to be careful not… Continue reading Identity First and Person First Language of the Deaf and Autistic Communities
As a Hard of Hearing autistic adult, I think about this often. There are many overlaps in the autistic and Deaf communities. There are different sensory, diagnosis, difficulties and therapy experiences. There is certainly an overlap of experiences and history. Having experiences from both communities is a truly unique experience. Combining the Deaf and autistic… Continue reading Oralism in the Deaf and Autistic Communities
Green face mask that says: "I'm not ignoring you." on the left and "I'm Hard of Hearing" on the right with HOH in ASL As many of you know, I am a Hard of Hearing Autistic adult. I rely on lip reading and ASL. I am normally able to fake being able to hear effectively… Continue reading Relying on Lip Reading and ASL during a Mask Mandate
The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. The ADA is a civil rights law that bans discrimination against disabled people in ares of public life. This includes jobs, schools, transportation and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the ADA is give disabled people… Continue reading 30 Years since the ADA was Enacted and We Still Have A Lot of Work To Do
What is Audism? Audism is is a term used to describe a negative attitude toward Deaf or hard of hearing people. It is typically thought of as a form of discrimination, prejudice, or a general lack of willingness to accommodate those who cannot hear. The Autistic Community As a Hard of Hearing (who was born… Continue reading Audism In the Autistic Community
Growing up on Long Island, NY I was privileged as far as racism/antisemitism goes. We are half Middle Eastern and half Eastern European. My parents did something right, they shielded my brothers and I from any type of systematic oppression. I grew up in a town with a high Jewish population. I went to a… Continue reading My Experience with Antisemetism, racism and bigotry
It is common knowledge for my current readers but for my newcomers, I was born Deaf and now I am hard of hearing. My hearing history can be found here. A lot of audism has been going around social media. Autism is discrimination against people based on their ability to hear. One is the thought that… Continue reading Getting fitted for and wearing a hearing aid: An autistic perspective