Intro to Neurodiversity: Unmasking Autism

Upcoming DEI event:

Intro to Neurodiversity: Unmasking Autism, in conversation with social psychologist/professor/author Devon Price, PhD
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An event sponsored by the Michigan Medicine Health Information Technology & Services (HITS) DEI Committee

When: Thursday, November 3, 2022 1:00-3:00pm EST (Zoom Webinar)

Register in advance:
https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OpxZB0K9RJ6g3E5vCO2ABQ

*After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

This event is open to anyone at Michigan Medicine and University of Michigan; please feel free to share with your peers!

Description of the Presentation: In this presentation, Dr. Devon Price introduces attendees to the neurodiversity movement and the social model of disability, explains what Autism really is versus the pervasive myths we’ve all been told about the neurotype, and outlines essential accommodations that neurodiverse people require from care providers, in their workplaces, and from public institutions. This workshop places particular emphasis on the phenomenon of masked Autism, where marginalized and under-diagnosed populations of Autistic people are required to camouflage and compensate for their Autistic traits because they do not meet the cultural stereotype of what Autism “looks like” and thus receive far less support. The costs of masking and the ways in which narrow social standards force disabled people to mask, and how we might collectively work to build a more accepting society will also be highlighted.

About the presenter: Dr. Devon Price is the author of the books Laziness Does Not Exist and Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity. He is a social psychologist and professor at Loyola University of Chicago’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Devon’s work has appeared in Slate, Business Insider, Financial Times, HuffPost, Psychology Today, and on NPR and PBS, and he has given recent speaking engagements at Nike, Indeed, The University of North Carolina, Ohio State University, the Ontario Public Library System, the Ohio Board of Developmental Disabilities, and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.

ABOUT UNMASKING AUTISM (source: Penguin Random House): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/688819/unmasking-autism-by-devon-price-phd/