The Autistic Strategies Network is a collaborative initiative by autistic people to optimise autism individually and in society.
“Optimising autism” means making our autism work as well as possible.
We started in South Africa and focus on Africa. We collaborate internationally.
We make mistakes and learn along the way. We invite you to join our journey.
Along with activists from around the continent, we contribute to the Autism in Africa | CRPD project on Twitter and Facebook. Join our mailing list for news of CRPD training events.
“There’s need for continental awareness and education of autism that is autistic led in order to change that narrative.”
Karen Muriuki, Autistic activist, Kenya, on witchcraft prejudices against autistic people
Communication is a human right.
Listen to as many autistic people as possible.
Help us combat chemical restraint in Western Cape schools
Autistic Straturdays (yes, spelled like that!)
Autistic-led online events for advocacy and fun, run from South Africa.
Nonspeaking autists’ experiences of ABA
ABA therapy is a behaviour modification intervention. It is used particularly with autistic children who struggle with communication and self-regulation. ABA is touted as being “evidence-based”, even though evidence shows that most ABA survivors want it stopped. This article, written for a South African audience, includes perspectives of several non-speaking autistics on their ABA experiences.
PROMPT© isn’t the same as prompting that helps for autistic apraxia
Prompting helps nonspeaking people develop motor skills for whole-body apraxia. The PROMPT© method is not a good fit.
Rise of the nonspeaking autistic revolution in South Africa
In February 2021, nonspeaking activist Zekwande Mathenjwa became a member of the newly-formed Special Interest Group (SIG) on Autism established by the Ethics Committee of the SASLHA, the national body for Speech, Language and Hearing professionals in South Africa.
In the pipeline
We’ve been involved in workshops, conferences and social initiatives for several years. The Autistic Health Seminar 2018 was the first learning event for health professionals presented entirely by autistic people. Here’s what was on the agenda. We’re planning the next one for 2024.
A Rights-Based Approach to Communication and Therapy
Communication is a human right. Here we share some resources which we’re using in a presentation about this topic for allied health professionals interested in working with autistic people who don’t speak.
Our focus areas for Africa and South Africa in 2021
Here are some of our provincial (Western Cape), national (South African) and continental (African) focus areas for 2021.
