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Playing D&D Helps Autistic Players In Social Interactions, Study Finds: An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Since its introduction in the 1970s, Dungeons & Dragons has become one of the most influential tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs) in popular culture, featuring heavily in Stranger Things, for example, and spawning a blockbuster movie released last year. Over the last decade or so, researchers have turned their focus more heavily to the ways in which D&D and other TRPGs can help people with autism form healthy social connections, in part because the gaming environment offers clear rules around social interactions. According to the authors of a new paper published in the journal Autism, D&D helped boost players' confidence with autism, giving them a strong sense of kinship or belonging, among other benefits. "There are many myths and misconceptions about autism, with some of the biggest suggesting that those with it aren't socially motivated, or don't have any imagination," said co-author Gray Atherton, a psychologist at the University of Plymouth. "Dungeons & Dragons goes against all that, centering around working together in a team, all of which takes place in a completely imaginary environment. Those taking part in our study saw the game as a breath of fresh air, a chance to take on a different persona and share experiences outside of an often challenging reality. That sense of escapism made them feel incredibly comfortable, and many of them said they were now trying to apply aspects of it in their daily lives." [...] For this latest study. Atherton et al. wanted to specifically investigate how autistic players experience D&D when playing in groups with other autistic players. It's essentially a case study with a small sample size -- just eight participants -- and qualitative in nature, since the post-play analysis focused on semistructured interviews with each player after the conclusion of the online campaign, the better to highlight their individual voices. The players were recruited through social media advertisements within the D&D, Reddit and Discord online communities; all had received an autism diagnosis by a medical professional. They were split into two groups of four players, with one of the researchers (who's been playing D&D for years) acting as the dungeon master. The online sessions featured in the study was the Waterdeep: Dragonheist campaign. The campaign ran for six weeks, with sessions lasting between two and four hours (including breaks). Participants spoke repeatedly about the positive benefits they received from playing D&D, providing a friendly environment that helped them relax about social pressures. "When you're interacting with people over D&D, you're more likely to understand what's going on," one participant said in their study interview. "That's because the method you'll use to interact is written out. You can see what you're meant to do. There's an actual sort of reference sheet for some

Playing D&D Helps Autistic Players In Social Interactions, Study Finds: An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Since its introduction in the 1970s, Dungeons & Dragons has become one of the most influential tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs) in popular culture, featuring heavily in Stranger Things, for example, and spawning a blockbuster movie released last year. Over the last decade or so, researchers have turned their focus more heavily to the ways in which D&D and other TRPGs can help people with autism form healthy social connections, in part because the gaming environment offers clear rules around social interactions. According to the authors of a new paper published in the journal Autism, D&D helped boost players' confidence with autism, giving them a strong sense of kinship or belonging, among other benefits. "There are many myths and misconceptions about autism, with some of the biggest suggesting that those with it aren't socially motivated, or don't have any imagination," said co-author Gray Atherton, a psychologist at the University of Plymouth. "Dungeons & Dragons goes against all that, centering around working together in a team, all of which takes place in a completely imaginary environment. Those taking part in our study saw the game as a breath of fresh air, a chance to take on a different persona and share experiences outside of an often challenging reality. That sense of escapism made them feel incredibly comfortable, and many of them said they were now trying to apply aspects of it in their daily lives." [...] For this latest study. Atherton et al. wanted to specifically investigate how autistic players experience D&D when playing in groups with other autistic players. It's essentially a case study with a small sample size -- just eight participants -- and qualitative in nature, since the post-play analysis focused on semistructured interviews with each player after the conclusion of the online campaign, the better to highlight their individual voices. The players were recruited through social media advertisements within the D&D, Reddit and Discord online communities; all had received an autism diagnosis by a medical professional. They were split into two groups of four players, with one of the researchers (who's been playing D&D for years) acting as the dungeon master. The online sessions featured in the study was the Waterdeep: Dragonheist campaign. The campaign ran for six weeks, with sessions lasting between two and four hours (including breaks). Participants spoke repeatedly about the positive benefits they received from playing D&D, providing a friendly environment that helped them relax about social pressures. "When you're interacting with people over D&D, you're more likely to understand what's going on," one participant said in their study interview. "That's because the method you'll use to interact is written out. You can see what you're meant to do. There's an actual sort of reference sheet for so

💎 Dos and Don'ts When Designing for Autistic People ↓ Information: ℹ️ Nearly 1% of the global population has autism, emphasizing the vital importance of integrating inclusive design [1]. ℹ️ Every autistic person experiences the world uniquely; there's no universal "autistic experience." ℹ️ Preference for "autistic person" or "person with autism" varies by individual. Some choose "autistic person" to emphasize autism as part of their identity (identity-first language), while others prefer "person with autism" to highlight the person over the diagnosis (person-first language), suggesting they are not defined by autism. Dos [2][5]: ✅ Prioritize subdued hues to create a calming environment. ✅ Use direct, simple English for clarity. ✅ Ensure actionable button labels, like “Add to Cart.” ✅ Keep interfaces uniform and intuitive to navigate. Don’ts [2][5]: ❌ Choose lively and varied colors to make things interesting. ❌ Use special words and phrases to make your writing fun. ❌ Use "Click Here" to add surprise. ❌ Introduce unusual scrolling, like parallax, for example. ❌ Implement timers and scarcity elements (📝 Note: In 2024, the trend for elements like email popups[3][4] and scarcity timers are declining due to user adaptation, making them counterproductive for web accessibility.) Great Articles: 📰 Cognitive Accessibility at W3C - https://lnkd.in/eBjrVdPV By W3C 📰 Web design for neurodiversity: Creating a more inclusive web - https://lnkd.in/ePDXCYQx By Kalina Tyrkiel (📝 Note: Although the article does not specifically address autism, it provides a thorough analysis and proposes potential solutions to make the web more inclusive for everyone, including individuals with autism) 📰 Design for Autistic People: Existing Research - https://lnkd.in/eJHxRjct By Irina Rusakova (📝 Note: A great article that helped me a lot to understand the experience of people with autism) 📰 Revealing Autism’s Hidden Strengths - https://lnkd.in/eRTJySCb By Nicholette Zeliadt 📰 User Experience Factors for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder - https://lnkd.in/eW7yNnGt By Katherine Valencia, Cristian Rusu, Federico Botella (📝 Note: Highly recommend this article for its actionable insights on autism-friendly design. Key takeaways include focusing on engagement, predictability, structure, interactivity, adaptability, customization, sensory sensitivity, attention retention, and minimizing frustration. These principles improve usability and effectiveness.) Resources: 💎 How to Talk and Write About Autism (PDF) - https://lnkd.in/efprzKv6 💎 Posters (PDF) - https://lnkd.in/eT7ZRA9z By Karwai Pun (📝 Note: This is just an iconic page. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend checking it out, downloading posters, and placing them in your office, so your coworkers can passively learn about accessibility.) #accessibility #designsystem #ux #ProductDesign #InclusiveDesign #A11y #UXForAll #WebAccessibility

Do you know what's happening to your children? 🤔, May Allah protect and forbid this from happening.Ameen *Prevention is better than cure.* 🤲🤲🤲 *Virtual Autism: A New Threat to Toddlers* *What is Virtual Autism?* The virtual autism does exist. Although you can see it & hear it, but you can’t touch or feel it. Children discover by touching, smelling, moving, tasting, seeing, and hearing the various items in their environment. Kids can only learn about the actual world if they are not around technology. Virtual autism is a disease that develops when young children under the age of two are overexposed to screens, which results in symptoms similar to ASD. Children under the age of three who spend excessive amounts of time on TV, tablets, laptops, and mobile phones struggle with communication and frequently exhibit unusual behaviour. *How Do You Identify Virtual Autism? How Is Virtual Autism Diagnosed?* The child's excessive screen time is the only factor in the development of virtual autism. The symptoms may disappear if you take them away from their screens, which would indicate that the youngster has "virtual autism." This is the primary characteristic that distinguishes virtual autism. Virtual autism refers to a youngster who exhibits characteristics of autism but is not autistic. *Symptoms of Virtual Autism* @Hyperactivity. @Inability to concentrate. @Absence of enthusiasm for play activities (apart from the virtual world) @Speech pause. @Lack of interaction with others. @Irritability and erratic moods. @Reduction in cognition. What Are The Reason Behind Virtual Autism The main reason is the freedom afforded to children to use screens for extended periods of time. According to some research, kids who watch the screen for fewer than three hours per day have short attention spans and language delays. In contrast, kids who watch it for over three hours per day are hyperactive, have short attention spans, and have language difficulties. Why Does Virtual Autism Occur? Children who are exposed to screens like phones, tablets, televisions, computers, and laptops over an extended period of time develop virtual autism. In place of electronic item you can give them Sensory Regulation Tools. *Virtual Recovery for Autism* The fact that something as basic as screen time may be detrimental to your child's growth and health is a terrible reality. *Virtual Autism Treatment* @cutting back on screen time #exploring the environment around us actively through a variety of activities @facilitating peer interactions in person, Playtime with the group @Spending quality time with parents and other adults by playing, cooking, or reading stories before bed. @Engaging in physical activity. #children #kids #parenting #parents #screenaddictions #autism

2️⃣ Second post of my “April is Autism Acceptance Month” series Living with autistic people, you cannot overlook the importance of daily or exceptional sensory experiences. What might be challenging to grasp is that these sensory preferences or fears are as various as the autistic persons you engage with. This isn't because you know one autistic person who *hates* the noise of the gardener’s leaf blower that all autistic people will loathe the same noise. Generally speaking though, most autistic individuals I have engaged with, all have things they try (need) to avoid at any cost. To better understand what is at stake with sensory issues, I warmly recommend you read this graphic book “Sensory, Life on The Spectrum - an Autistic Comics Anthology” (link in comment). It is a mind and eye-opening collection of short graphic stories, narrated by autistic artists attempting to convey what it feels like inside. Getting dressed can become a real hassle. On one hand, you have to deal with the society expectations around what it means to be correctly (should I say appropriately?) dressed: it can be a suit or a pair of heels when you work in a city, but it can also be the school uniform that cannot be sweatpants or your official basketball team’s jersey. On the other hand, you have to grapple with your own capabilities. Very often, they do not align. I recall a challenging moment during last year's basketball season in the #NJB league, when a referee instructed all the young players to remove undershirts that were not matching the main color of the team’s jersey. It was the end of January, a late and already chilly Sunday afternoon, at a gym in the mountains, where everyone was freezing. This created a lot of disturbances in some autistic minds: 1/ How can I play without my undershirt? 2/ This jersey is itchy, 3/ I am freezing and I feel the wind on my skin, 4/ I was not prepared to deal with that… From that day on, we acquired all the necessary undershirts, matching both reversible sides of the team’s jersey, long-sleeved for winter season and short-sleeved for the warmer ones. We now carry all these undershirts with us to every game, because, you know… you never know! This post could also discuss the hoodie that you cannot keep in the classroom because it sounds disrespectful, or the bow-tie you have to wear for a wedding because this is the dress-code, or the running shoes you pair with any outfit because these are the only ones you can walk in… Please do not judge the book on its cover and consider that some outfits are not disrespectful choices but merely survival options. #AutismeAwareness #AutismAcceptance #SensoryOverload #SensoryIssues

Meet Our New Executive Director SAN DIEGO, CA – Following a national search, the Autism Society of San Diego has named local veteran public affairs, autism advocate and nonprofit leader, Shahriar Afshar its new executive director. Afshar will lead a local staff of five employees focused on connecting people to the Autism-related resources through education, advocacy, support, information referral, and community programming. He begins in his new role on August 19. As a ‘Dadvocate’ parent of a teenage son with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Shahriar is uniquely positioned to understand the needs of the autism community. Prior to being named to this position, Afshar served 25 years with the City of San Diego and Port of San Diego in various leadership roles and five years with Verizon as one of the lead public agency reps in Southern California. He later launched The Afshar Group, a private equity and startup accelerator focused on building value, innovation and inclusion in AutismTec, eMobility Hubs and Political Media. Shahriar continues to be involved in several business and nonprofit advisory boards. “Shahriar brings a deep sense of compassion, innovation, and servant leadership to our cause that’s hard to match. He is the transformational leader we need to take us to the next level so we may better serve the families of greater San Diego impacted by ASD,” said Joe Ireland, Autism Society of San Diego board president. In his prior work, Afshar worked with the Autism Society of America & Verizon to accelerate the adoption of wearable devices as a life & safety tool for ASD children. Shahriar continues to work with parent-entrepreneurs to bring transformative products and services to the marketplace while promoting autism startup innovation on his podcast at AutismSpa.com (Supporting Parents of Autism). “Over the next six months, I look forward to engaging other nonprofit leaders, public agencies, and corporate partners to enhance the programs and services of the Autism Society and promote autism-friendly businesses & public facilities at every opportunity,” said Afshar. “The autism community is an internal part of our greater San Diego region, and we are dedicated to advancing awareness, acceptance, and the success of every person with ASD across our region. According to a 2020 Centers for Disease Control study, 1 in 36 children in the U.S. have ASD, and in California, it’s 1 in 22 children that are on the spectrum. This means nearly every classroom in San Diego has a child with ASD. It is estimated that over five million adults in the U.S. have ASD with an expected cost of $461 billion by 2025 to care for them. To connect with Shahriar directly, please visit his Linkedin page below: https://lnkd.in/gtf4nDY4

The Autism Society of America and Nickelodeon co-created a free, downloadable, Back-to-School resource pack to help support students on the Autism spectrum and their teachers. In this collaborative effort, our goal is to help empower Autistic students who are navigating their educational journeys, and provide agency and engagement exclusively through positive reinforcement. In April, the Autism Society and Nickelodeon released a resource guide for Autism Acceptance Month, and continued to collaborate through ongoing initiatives throughout the year. The Nickelodeon team is proud to continue using its platform to connect with families in the Autism community and relay critical information to those looking for resources and support. Our resource pack is free to download, print, and customize with the support of your favorite Nick characters, including: Spongebob Squarepants, Blue’s Clue’s, Bubble Guppies, Fairly Odd Parents, Paw Patrol, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dora the Explorer, Peppa Pig, and Loud House. Power Cards: A “Power Card” is a visual aid that uses a person’s interest as motivation to help teach a skill, encourage action, or set reminders. Power cards (featuring your favorite Nick characters) use a student’s high-interest topic/passion to help encourage positive choices, set reminders, and support engagement. Token Boards: A token board is a visual support tool that provides reinforcement and supports self-management. They allow unstructured tasks to be broken down into clear and visual steps and support motivation and engagement through positive reinforcement using images of high interests/passions that are meaningful to the student. Visual Schedules: Visual schedules offer visual support that can help Autistic individuals set a routine, anticipate/foreshadow daily activities, transition between activities, develop independence, and can be used as a communication tool. Visual supports can also help the student process information easier and quicker. * We’ve created two visual schedule formats, one intended for younger students with larger images and one intended for older students with a more varied daily schedule. The resource pack can be used across all age ranges and should be personalized to support student agency and engagement. FREE Download- https://lnkd.in/eVpPmWBU

Movies have the power to fill you with joy, bring you to tears, make you uneasy, and give you chills. In short, they can take us on what you call a rollercoaster ride of feelings. Beyond all of that, there’s one unique quality that sets cinema apart from many other forms of art. 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀. They can challenge our perspectives, shift our beliefs, and drive transformation. CADRRE (Centre for Autism and other Disabilities Rehabilitation Research and Education) recognizes this potential, and that’s exactly why we’re making use of cinema as a medium to create meaningful change. 𝗖𝗔𝗗𝗥𝗥𝗘 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺 (𝗖𝗜𝗙𝗙𝗔 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱) is our second edition of the short film competition focused on raising awareness about Autism. For this competition, we’re looking for short films that are 5 minutes long, with no restrictions on language or genre. While promoting autism awareness is our primary goal, we also want to reward the best films with cash prizes as a recognition of their excellence and appreciation for their support. ~ 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺: ₹𝟭,𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 ~ 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺: ₹𝟱𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 ~ 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺: ₹𝟮𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬 (𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲) For detailed information on the registration process, rules, and guidelines, visit www.cadrre.org/ciffa. Contact: [email protected] or +919207440828 Thank you, Gayathri Menon, for this wonderful video! G. Vijaya Raghavan Lekshmi Nair Parvathy R Lekshmy R Nayana Chandran Nandita N K Lakshmi R Padma N Merlin Joseph India Autism Center Atypical Advantage Orchvate Bubbles Centre for Autism - India Autism Connect The Autism Clinic Action for Autism, National Centre for Autism India Autism Care India Autism Intervention & Learning Centre Autism Residential Community (India) ACE - Autism Center for Excellence C.A.R.E for Autism Early Autism Ventures Neuro Revolution International Autism and ADHD Treatment Center Sense Kaleidoscopes: Autism Life Academy Sambhavam Center for Autism JEWEL AUTISM AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTRE Aaryavart Center For Autism And Special Needs Foundation "Mayrah" Centre for Autism Ray of Hope Center for Autism Dr. Atul Madaan Dr. Nakul Kaushik Ummeed Child Development Center Mom's Belief Much Much Spectrum CognitiveBotics Nayi Disha Jai Vakeel Foundation and Research Centre Stepping Stones Center #cadrre #ciffa #autism #autismspectrumdisorder #autismspectrum #asd #asperger #autismcommunity #autismmoms #inclusion #diversity #neurodiversity #film #movies #filmfestival #shortfilm #shortfilmfestival #movielovers #cinema #cinemalovers

I’m not a fan of scouring by way of the lives of well-known historic figures and retroactively declaring them as autistic. But, there’s one thing inarguably fascinating about how, once we do post-diagnose our heroes, we regularly level to their obsessive tendencies as a sign of a spectrum-identity. I don’t find out about you however, to me, this alerts that innovation, excellence and autism can all be considered as intently interlinked. But, one take a look at the autism group will present that not each autist was born to be the subsequent Albert Einstein, Leonardo DaVinci or Greta Thunberg – so how true can this be? Nicely, based on a new theory from autism guru Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, the reply continues to be fairly darn shut, whereby a greater understanding of innovation in autism not solely explains many unsolved mysteries of the spectrum, however could open up many new routes to unlocking an autist’s full potential. This concept known as the systemising mechanism and it goes a bit one thing like this… What Is the Systemising Mechanism? In some unspecified time in the future or one other, it’s protected to say that we’ve all marvelled on the functionality of mankind; pondering how, in a fraction of the Earth’s historical past, we went from rubbing sticks for a hearth to commanding vessels that permit us to grasp the ocean, sky and land. Nicely, based on a brand new autism concept, these feats had been no mere coincidence as, basically, the identical ingenuity which allowed the primary man to choose up a bone and flip it right into a flute, is what nonetheless drives inspiration immediately: From astronauts in house to the skate boarders performing ‘ollies’ and ‘360s’ on the skatepark (sure, world-renowned autism researcher Simon Baron-Cohen makes use of the phrases ‘ollies’ and ‘360s’ in his e-book. No, that by no means stops being bizarre). Dubbed the systemising mechanism, this phenomenal pressure describes the advanced pondering course of which lies behind each discovery, massive or small. Nonetheless, by its writer’s personal admission, this functionality of limitless creativity can simply be condensed into three looping phrases: ‘if’, ‘and’, ‘then’ – i.e an individual’s potential to contemplate how: If, one thing has occurred, does occur or can occur…and, this one thing is utilized to one thing else..then, what do the 2 issues lead to; how/why did it occur (i.e. again to the beginning) Now, this may increasingly sound fundamental as all of us unconsciously query these items in each motion of on daily basis. Nonetheless, if the systemising mechanism is deemed to be actual, it’s essential that we don’t undervalue its contribution to life as we all know it. As, whereas for some it may be seen, in a single’s potential to contemplate how: ‘If it’s rainingand I am going out with no coatthen I’ll get moist’ It’s equally essential to recollect how over 4000 years in

**Mental Imaging in Autism: Insights from Temple Grandin's Visual Thinking** Mental imaging refers to the ability to create and manipulate pictures, scenes, or sensory representations in the mind. Temple Grandin's Perspective on Mental Imaging and Autism: Temple Grandin, in her book "Thinking in Pictures", describes how her own thought process is predominantly visual. She conceptualizes ideas and memories as vivid, detailed mental images, much like playing a video in her mind. For her and many others on the autism spectrum, visual thinking is a dominant cognitive style. This style is often referred to as "thinking in pictures" rather than words. **Key Characteristics of Mental Imaging in Autism: Highly Detailed Visual Memory: Individuals like Temple Grandin can mentally recreate intricate, detailed images of past experiences, designs, or concepts. This often leads to strengths in areas such as engineering, design, or art. **Sequential Processing Through Images: Instead of thinking in abstract words, many autistic individuals "see" solutions or processes unfold in pictures in their minds. This enables them to break down problems into clear, logical visual steps. **Literal Interpretation of Information: Mental imaging often leads to a literal and concrete understanding of concepts. For instance, idioms or abstract metaphors might be visualized in a literal way, which can sometimes lead to misunderstandings in communication. **Strength in Pattern Recognition: Mental imaging helps many autistic individuals excel in identifying patterns, both in physical designs and abstract systems. This is often seen in fields like mathematics, architecture, or technology. **Challenges in Abstract or Verbal Thinking: While visual thinking offers unique strengths, it may also make abstract concepts or verbal communication more challenging. This difference in cognitive style often underscores the need for tailored teaching and communication strategies for individuals with autism. **Implications of Temple Grandin's Study: Temple Grandin’s work on mental imaging highlights the importance of visual learning tools for autistic individuals, such as: Using diagrams, flowcharts, and pictures in teaching and communication. Leveraging tools like 3D models or real-life prototypes in problem-solving. Recognizing the unique strengths of visual thinkers in professional settings, particularly in fields requiring spatial and technical skills. **Why Mental Imaging Matters: Temple Grandin’s ability to harness mental imaging has made her a leader in designing humane livestock handling systems and advocating for autism awareness. Her success underscores the fact that visual thinkers bring distinct and valuable perspectives to problem-solving, creativity, and innovation.