This Is Not Autism

A civil-rights focused advocacy website dedicated to challenging deficit-based autism narratives, highlighting under-identified trauma and PTSD among autistic and DD/ID populations, and providing an open-access, searchable resource library, tools for action, and evidence-based reform resources. Minimalist, accessible, and mobile-first design prioritizing inclusion and clarity.

The DSM & PTSD

Diagnosis Reform

This page explains why diagnostic criteria and frameworks need reform to center trauma and lived experience over pathologizing labels.

A tidy research corner with a stack of three hardcover books in muted gray and sand tones, their blank spines subtly embossed with abstract bar patterns instead of titles, resting beside a slim, silver tablet on a matte white table. A transparent acrylic stand holds a single sheet of paper printed with a simple, high-contrast chart of evenly spaced bars ascending in height, symbolizing progress. Gentle daylight filters in from the left, casting soft, elongated shadows and reflections on the acrylic. Captured at a slightly elevated, three-quarter angle with a moderate depth of field, the composition feels analytical yet hopeful, embodying evidence-based reform and quiet resilience in a clean, photographic, corporate aesthetic.
A row of neutral-toned file boxes and labeled binders arranged on a sleek white shelf, each spine clearly marked with concise, legible terms like “Autism Research,” “Civil Rights,” “Trauma,” and “Policy Reform” in a modern sans-serif font. The shelf stands against a matte, light-beige wall, with a single, small, geometric plant pot adding subtle greenery at one end. Soft, overcast daylight from the left casts even illumination and faint, orderly shadows beneath each binder. Photographed from a slightly elevated angle with sharp focus throughout, the composition emphasizes structure, organization, and open-access knowledge in a clean, photographic, minimalist corporate style.

Trauma, not labels

This site reframes autism beyond deficit, spotlighting under-identified trauma and PTSD in autistic and DD/ID communities, with open-access resources for reform.

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Diagnostic Reform Papers

To publish long-form analyses, citations, and position papers on diagnostic reform in an organized, updateable format.