Extreme Kids & Crew Resources
Podcasts/Videos:
Supporting EKC with Eliza Factor
EKC founder Eliza Factor in an audio narrative.
A pillar in the disability community, Judy Heumman’s podcast.
FROM THE PAST FROM THE FUTURE TO THE NEW AND RECENT
Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha’s page featuring videos like: Palestine is Disabled by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha - An Essay Film.
Tiffany Hammond, former EKC panelist on Uniquely Human: The Podcast.
Supporting EKC, with Diana Baron-Moore, Part 1
Supporting EKC, with Diana Baron-Moore, Part 2
A conversation between former EKC staff Diana Baron-Moore and Gisela Sanders Alcantara, board member.
Tilt: Parenting: Raising Differently Wired Kids
A podcast about parenting children with learning disabilities and more - Tilt Parenting
Articles
SINS INVALID: 10 Principles of Disability Justice, written by notable disability thinkers and activists.
Women/Girls
The female burden of neurodiversity | The Week
“When I tell people I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, the conversation usually focuses on how long it took for me to get a diagnosis and all the signs that were missed along the way. But when we talk about neurodiversity and gender, that's only one part of the story. We also need to talk about gendered expectations of behavior — whose responsibility it is to manage whose symptoms and who gets a pass on dealing with the tough stuff.” -Zoe Fenson
Why Autism Has Been Underdiagnosed in Girls and Women | Psychology Today
“It is becoming increasingly evident in research and the public domain that autistic females are different from autistic males. The criteria for diagnosing autism originated based on the presentation of boys, leading to a gender-biased understanding of autism. Autistic females are underdiagnosed, particularly in individuals without an intellectual development disorder. Gender bias leads to fewer referrals for females, later diagnoses, missed diagnoses, and misdiagnoses.” -Karen Saporito, Ph.D.
Cultural
Why Asian American kids are under-diagnosed when it comes to learning disabilities
In her research, she has found that disabled Asian Americans are underserved and receive lower-quality support and rehabilitation compared to other groups, including Latinos and Blacks. A lack of Asian-specific research fails to address a diverse community of 22 million people who trace their roots to more than 20 countries. -Victoria Namkung
Neurodivergent Black Women: An Uplifting Neurodiversity Movement Taking Shape
“Even with a diagnosis, I never felt like teachers, coaches, and other adults in my life fully understood me. (Except for my supportive parents — something so many go without.) Many of my teachers made no attempts to hide their biases and often saw me as an impulsive, misbehaving student rather than one struggling with symptoms of a condition.” -Alyssa Tundidor
Neurodiversity in the Latinx Community: Diagnosis and Lack of Access to Help - HipLatina
“Cultural barriers are part of the reason that the Latinx community does not receive proper care,” said Gomez. “Reasons such as religion, homeopathic remedies, lack of trust, fear of judgment, lack of understanding of mental health, and a sense that behaviors are within a person’s control and so it must be that the person needs discipline and motivation.” -Damaris Galeano
Art
Why I am silent - an #autistic perspective | The Art of Autism
“When my father died, I was so sad … no different than any other son in the world. Yet, while taking the traditional bath after the funeral (in India, people bathe after funerals), I laughed out loud. Eventually, the fear of judgment led me to social withdrawal. I now avoid social interactions with people except a few with whom I can talk and be myself without fearing judgment. When someone smiles after an outburst, I feel validated and accepted.” -Linish Balan resides in India and works with people on the autism spectrum
9-year-old autistic girl shares storybook she wrote and illustrated | The Art of Autism
“Children with autism need to be reaffirmed that their voices are powerful, and their emotions must be shared in many different ways.” -“The Story Of Thomias”
Nature Photography and the autistic point of View | The Art of Autism
“Almost every day, I would have panic attacks. I also tried to run off by myself a lot. That is called elopement, and it is dangerous because I could have had accidents outside. I find the animals and trees in the parks and name my photos after each species. In English class, I learned about figurative language, such as metaphors. So, my photography is a metaphor for my autistic worldview.” -Michael Wang
8-year-old autistic girl creates amazing portraits | The Art of Autism
“Sofia Valentina, not even two years old, takes the crayons at a restaurant and can color within the lines. Sofia is somewhat verbal. Sofia’s speech began primarily as echolalic speech – she memorized everything she heard and would script it aloud over and over throughout the day. At age 20 months, Sofia picked up Mandarin from watching a cartoon show and completely switched her speech to only Mandarin (By age 3, she spoke three different languages that she picked up on YouTube).” -Debra Muzikar
The Benefits of Music for Therapy and the Neurodiverse
“Rhythm is an excellent tool to help facilitate motor movement since rhythm already exists internally in the body’s heartbeat.” -Martha Summa-Chadwick, DMA
Dance, Autism, and Creating Neurodivergent-Friendly Spaces - Dance Magazine
“It took some learning to figure out which questions were appropriate in a dance space and which questions teachers will probably be annoyed by.” -Madeleine Milner
“Milner has found choreography to be an essential outlet, and she has a distinctive point of view as an artist, partly due to her neurodivergence. ‘Especially in choreography, it’s a unique asset,’ she says. ‘I can’t speak for all autistic people, but at least for myself, choreography is such a vital form of communication, and it’s such a universal language.’” -Sophie Bress
Exploring the relationship between neurodiversity and dance music
“While it’s difficult to generalize, many people with ADHD are highly creative and often original thinkers. Many have boundless energy that they can channel into their chosen field. Many people with ADHD, counterintuitively, experience something called hyperfocus, where they’re able to concentrate intensely on a task to the exclusion of all else for long periods.” -Harold Heath
How can we accommodate neurodiversity in dance? | Birkbeck Perspectives
“One of the features of a neurodivergent mind (although I don’t like this word too much!) is great sensory sensitivity. A cluttered, noisy studio where music mixes with voices can be distracting. A calm environment with good lighting benefits everyone. Regular breaks are important, too, as is giving people the opportunity to take solitary time out – their social batteries might be empty.” -Almuth McDowall
Books
Adult Books
Strange Beauty: A Portrait of My Son, By Eliza Factor
In this intimate and heartfelt book, EKC founder Eliza shares her experiences raising her son, Felix, who is both autistic and physically disabled.
Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist, by Judith Heumann
Some have referred to Judy as the disability bible, and I wholeheartedly agree. Judy was an internationally recognized disability rights activist, widely regarded as “the mother” of the disability rights movement.
Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century, Edited By Alice Wong
Wong brings together a collection of essays that challenge misconceptions about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), debunking the notion that it has achieved equality and accessibility in public spaces.
Black Disability Politics, By Sami Schalk
“Black Disability Politics” by Sami Schalk delves into the intersectionality of disability and Black activism, exploring how disability issues have been and continue to be central to the fight for racial justice.
Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally, By Emily Ladau
“Demystifying Disability” is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand and support disabled people. It’s an approachable guide to being a thoughtful, informed ally, with actionable steps and language shifts.
Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask About Having a Disability, By Shane Burcaw
Born with spinal muscular atrophy, a rare disease that affects his muscles’ growth, Burcaw shares his experiences of navigating daily life with the help of friends and family — while also pursuing his passions (like playing sports and video gaming) and living a fulfilling life.
Find more like this and sourced from 42 Best Books on Disabilities Curated by a Disability Activist.
Children’s Books
My Brain Is Magic: A Sensory-Seeking Celebration, by Prasha Sooful and Illustrated by Geeta Ladi
How Are You Verity?, By Meghan Wilson Duff and Illustrated By Taylor Barron
A Day with No Words, By Tiffany Hammond and Illustrated By Kate Cosgrove
Next Level, By Samara Cole Doyon and Illustrated By Kaylani Juanita
Masterpiece, By Alexandra Hoffman
It Was Supposed to be Sunny, By Samantha Cotterill
Too Sticky!, By Jen Malia and Illustrated By Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
I am Odd, I am New, By Benjamin Giroux and Illustrated By Roz MacLean
Bitsy Bat School Star, By Kaz Windness and Illustrated By Kaz Windness
Flap Your Hands: A Celebration of Stimming, By Steve Asbell
Remarkable Remy, By Melanie Heyworth and Illustrated By Nathaniel Eckstrom
My Brother Otto, By Meg Raby and Illustrated By Elisa Pallmer
My Brother Otto and the Birthday Party, By Meg Raby and Illustrated By Elisa Pallmer
My Brother Charlie, By Holly Robinson Peete and Illustrated By Shane W. Evans
Charlie Makes a Splash, By Holly Robinson Peete and Illustrated By Shane W. Evans
Benji the Bad Day and Me, By Sally J. Pla and Illustrated By Ken Min
Henry, Like Always (Chapter Book), By Jenn Bailey and Illustrated By Mika Song
Middle School Books
The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family, By Sarah Kapit
Two autistic sisters launch a detective agency.
The Someday Birds, By Sally J. Pla
An autistic boy embarks on a family road trip to support his injured father.
Bat and the Waiting Game, By Elana K. Arnold
A trilogy exploring life through the eyes of an autistic boy.
A Kind of Spark, By Elle McNicoll
An autistic girl campaigns for a memorial for the burned witches.
Can You See Me?, By Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott
An autistic girl struggles with masking as she begins 6th grade.
Planet Earth is Blue, By Nicole Panteleakos
A nonverbal girl expresses her passion for space exploration.
Show Us Who You Are, By Elle McNicoll
A neurodiverse girl discovers a new technology that gives her a chance to talk to her best friend she lost.
We Could Be Heroes, By Mike Chen
An autistic boy and his friend team up to save the dog next door.
Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen!, By Sarah Kapi
An autistic girl won’t let anything stop her from playing baseball.
Good Different, By Meg Eden Kuyatt
A neurodivergent girl realizes that different doesn’t mean damaged.
Maya Plays the Part, By Calyssa Er
Since her autism diagnosis, Maya struggles with playing the part of “Maya in Public”.
Kids Like Us, By Hilary Reyl
Kids Like Us is the story of Martin, a teenager on the autism spectrum, who falls for Gilberte-Alice, a ‘normal’ French girl. While spending summer in the French countryside with his mother
The Fire, the Water and Maudie McGinn, By Sally Pla
"Anyone who’s different in a place where being different is feared and under attack will identify with Maudie’s struggles … Maudie’s journey from blaming herself for her neurodivergence to standing up for herself and what she needs brings joy and hope to this autistic reader.” — Lyn Miller-Lachmann,
Children’s Book and Middle School Book recommendations sourced from @maistorybooklibrary on Instagram.