Jan 13
Autism in the Age of Neurodiversity Outline for 2018 OLLI Autism Course at Simon’s Rock Great Barrington 6 Sessions on Fridays 1 to 3 PM 19 January to 23 February 2018 Michael F. Wilcox Alford Massachusetts http://www.mfw.us/blog/ mfw@mfw.us Promised: A review of the cultural history of autism, from ancient times to the present. An exploration …
Dec 11
Advance publicity for my OLLI course on autism is in full swing. Last week (on December 6), I attended an Open House in Pittsfield and gave a short pitch, and then (on December 7) I appeared on local public access TV in a half-hour interview, available here. The interview was a lot of fun, giving …
Dec 01
Click Here for an Outline of My Presentation I will be conducting a workshop, as part of the December 2 AANE Annual Conference at Bentley University. The outline is really just a teaser. I cannot possibly do justice to all of the topics listed, in the time allotted. I hope to generate discussion and to …
Dec 01
The Language and Mythology of Autism The words we use reveal our values, and the language we use can shape our beliefs. To be autistic is to be neurodivergent, and to be neurodivergent is to enjoy a different way of life. Identity Pathology Euphemisms Empathy Functioning Special Interests Michael Forbes Wilcox, MA, CFA …
Nov 28
I am pleased to announce that I will be presenting a series of six lectures on autism in this winter’s Berkshire OLLI program. NB: the venue has been changed from BCC to Simon’s Rock. One of my objectives will be to dispel some of the myths and misunderstandings around autism. Here is everything you need …
Oct 09
“Schizophrenia’s Unyielding Mysteries” is the title of an article published in the May 2107 issue of Scientific American magazine. Quotations in this blog post are from that article unless otherwise specified. Schizophrenia and Autism: Similarities and Differences I’m interested in schizophrenia because it is so closely associated with autism. At one time, autism was labeled …
Sep 03
For the past few (4+) years, I have been a “Georger” — a person who uses the website http://www.wheresgeorge.com/ to track the movement of US currency that passes through my hands. I’ll have a lot more to say about this in future posts, I just wanted to start the conversation here with an observation about …
Jun 07
I’m participating in a panel on Friday (June 9) at Northeastern University on Anxiety, as part of the CHATTER event. Of course, I’m quite nervous about this. As part of my preparation (which helps to reduce anxiety), I have been reviewing my past talks and writings on the subject. I discovered that my blog does …
Mar 04
For many years, most of my blogging was about politics. In the period from early 2005 until late in 2008, I devoted my energies to political organizing, and I wrote nearly every day about opportunities for people in my region (the western four counties of Massachusetts) to participate in activities in support of causes and …
Feb 27
When an a non-autistic person studies something deeply, it’s an “area of expertise,” and the acquisition of such expertise is considered a commendable accomplishment. When an autistic person studies something deeply, it’s a “special interest,” and it’s considered a symptom of pathology. #DoubleStandards Nick Walker Nick’s post on Facebook really hit home for me, because, …