News & Announcements
For DJ, an 8 year old autistic boy, being yelled at and having his iPad taken away triggered a meltdown. But what started as a meltdown ended as a criminal battery charge for DJ when he hit his special education teacher. While DJ knows hitting is wrong, he is just an 8 year old boy…
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AWN urges caution when speculating about any mental health diagnosis of the shooter in the recent Florida tragedy. News outlets have already begun speculating about the shooter’s possible links to mental health. We especially implore the media to resist their usual patterns of stereotyping people with disabilities when these kinds of killings occur. People with…
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The events that occurred last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia when a vehicle driven by a white supremacist drove deliberately through a crowd of peaceful anti-racism protesters (killing one individual and injuring numerous others) shocked and saddened many of us in America. Autism Women’s Network vehemently condemns this racist act of terror that was inflicted upon…
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Autism Women’s Network grieves with the families of the police officers in Baton Rouge whose lives were brutally taken. We continue to mourn with the families of the officers and civilians who were murdered or wounded in the recent Dallas attack as well. We are saddened by the frequency of acts of violence and extend…
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Autism Women’s Network remains committed to adding our voice to the fight for justice in marginalized communities. It’s with deep sadness that we find ourselves once again needing to do so with the recent murders of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and Delrawn Small at the hands of police. Time after time, we witness law enforcement…
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Today is the anniversary of the decision in Olmstead v. L.C., a landmark case for the disabled brought under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). In some ways, the Olmstead decision is similar to the 1954 case, Brown v the Board of Education, that required public schools to racially integrate.…
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Autism Women’s Network (or AWN, a non-profit advocacy organization run by and for Autistic women and non-binary individuals,) has recently learned that the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a ban on aversive shock therapy. AWN vehemently opposes the practice of aversive shock therapy and applauds the FDA for proposing a ban on such treatments…
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Autism Women’s Network wants to address a concern that has recently come to light. We are intentionally being broad in our statement and have chosen to not use personal names. If this causes you confusion then we apologize. It has recently been discovered that AWN, in good faith, shared writings over the past year of…
Read MoreAWN Demands That Colorado Respect Sharisa Kochmeister’s Rights to Self-Determination, to Live in the Community with Supports, and to Use Her Tools for Effective Communication. AWN holds the position that everyone has the right to make their own life choices, the right to communicate using the tools and methods that work for them, and the…
Read MoreShe is a friend, a kindred soul. We both type to communicate, we both have other disabilities besides autism. Sharisa Joy Kochmeister is only a few years older than me. Recently, she was admitted to a hospital because she was losing weight, unable to hold down any food (this is the information shared in social…
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