The rise of Internet
The rise of the Internet in the early 1990s was a major turning point for both parent and self-advocacy groups. One of the earliest online parents lists, the Autism and Developmental Disabilities List (AUTISM List), promoted applied behavioral analysis (ABA), a form of cognitive behavioral therapy, as a treatment for autistic children.
Cyberspace has turned into a vehicle and territory for new forms of “biosociality.” Prominent among the phenomena sustained by websites and blogs is the emergence of a specific self-advocate vocabulary for categorizing persons (Bagatell 2007): Aspie, Cousin (someone who is not clinically autistic but still similar enough to autistic people to be part of their culture), Neurotypical, Autistic or Autie (preferred to the politically correct “person with autism”), or Curebie (derogatory term for those who wish to cure autism). Websites also recommend fictional and science literature; various online support organizations, blogs, and chat rooms facilitate interaction among autistic individuals, provide clarifications on symptoms, enable the sharing of experiences, and help their users make friends or find partners (Chamak 2008; Jurecic 2007; Silverman, 2008a, 2008b).
Find the articles cited by Vidal and Ortega below:Chamak, Brigitte, et al. 2008. “What Can We Learn About Autism from Autistic Persons?” Psychotherapy...Jurecic, Ann. 2007. “Neurodiversity.” College English 69 (5): 421–442. (PDF)
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