NeurodiVentureNeurodiVenture : an inclusive non-hierarchical organisation operated by neurodivergent people that provides a safe and nurturing environment for divergent thinking, creativity, exploration, and collaborative niche construction.NeurodiVentures | Autistic Collaboration NeurodiVentures create safe spaces for groups… More : an inclusive non-hierarchicalThe belief in the existence and relevance of social hierarchies must be suspended.The Beauty of Collaboration at Human Scale: Timeless patterns of human limitations The extent to which a community… More organisation operated by neurodivergent people that provides a safe and nurturing environment for divergent thinking, creativity, exploration, and collaborative niche constructionPositive Niche Construction–practice of differentiating instruction for the neurodiverse brainNeurodiversity in the Classroom Positive niche construction is a strengths-based approach to educating students with disabilities. Reimagining Inclusion with Positive Niche… More.
We pledge to act and interact in ways that contribute to an open, welcoming, diverse, inclusive, and healthy community.
We use prosocialThe eight prosocial design principles provide guidance for dealing with people who regularly ignore relevant advice (or consistently refuse to seek or give advice) and therefore regularly cause downstream problems… More principles, restorative practicesRestorative practices (RP) derive from “restorative justice,” which is used to bring together, in mutual agreement for mediation, the victim and the perpetrator of an offense. The goal is typically restitution for… More, transformative justicetransformative justice—justice practices that go all the way to the root of the problem and generate solutions and healing there, such that the conditions that create injustice are transformed.Emergent Strategy:… More, and an advice processAlmost all Teal organizations use, in one form or another, what an early practitioner (AES) called the “advice process.” It comes in many forms, but the essence is consistent: any… More.
In addition to speaking different languages, we have different neurotypes with different communication styles and norms of sociality. In the case of misunderstanding, assume good intention.
Tell your truth in such a way that you’re allowing others to tell their truths, too.
Maintain learner safety and remember what it is like to be a new contributor.
You can’t just open the door; you have to put out a welcome mat.
StimpunksStimpunk combines “stimming” + “punk” to evoke open and proud stimming, resistance to neurotypicalization, and the DIY culture of punk, disabled, and neurodivergent communities. Instead of hiding our stims, we… More is created by all of us.
Live your truth.
Shred some gnar.
Punk Was Created by All of Us
PunkEverything that was normally supposed to be hidden was brought to the front.Punk subculture – Wikipedia The First Rule of Punk: Be Yourself Our Second Rule of Punk: Reframe The… More was created by women, people of color, and queersBeing queer means constantly questioning what’s considered “normal” and why that norm gets privileged over other ways of being. It means criticizing who sets these norms and recognizing the privilege… More. And without all of us, it would be nothing.
Alice Bag
The Very Latinx History of Punk
Dr. Martens Presents: Women in Punk – LA
Maybe that is the punkness of being a woman.
Marina Muhlfriedel
There have always been, like, women in it, and queer people, and people of color.
That community is also something really cool about punk.
People, incorrectly, view punk as this angry, white, urban male genre. Black culture is really the source of punk, and a lot of people don’t recognize it – or don’t want to recognize it.
But before all of them, was a man who inhabited punk in all its definitions. A queer, Black man, who played his music loud and fast and with a defiantly masterful un-polish. Little Richard set the stage for everything that punk would become while inhabiting every sense of the word with pride. John Waters once declared Little Richard “was the first punk.”
I was gay. It’s nice to be happy. I was happy, and I wanted the world to know I was happy. And I wasn’t ashamed. I had been that way all my life, and I didn’t know nothing else but that. And so I told everybody that: I am gay.
We as members, contributors, and leaders pledge to make participation in our community a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body size, visible or invisible disability…every disability has invisible components.Invisible – Documentary about 6 disabled women activists (audio described and closed captioned) – YouTube Note: The following was written by Ryan in 2017. Ryan now… More, ethnicity, sex characteristics, genderDue both to their ability to denaturalize social norms and to their neurological differences, autistic individuals can offer novel insights into gender as a social process. Examining gender from an… More identity and expression, level of experience, education, socio-economic status, nationality, personal appearance, race, caste, color, religion, or sexual identity and orientation.
We pledge to act and interact in ways that contribute to an open, welcoming, diverse, inclusive, and healthy community.
Don’t be TRAASH (transphobic, racist, ableist, abusive, sexist, homophobic).
At Stimpunks, we add three more As to TRAAAAASH for:
Anti-Black
Anti-Indigenous
Anti-Semitic
Jewish, Black, and Indigenous people are canaryAutistic man Freestone Wilson suggested in the 1990s that autistic people are functioning as the “miners’ canaries” of civilisation. When the air in the mine is poisoned we do not… More populations alerting us to our times and our history.
Anti-Proselytizing Principles Prophylactic Protection against Evangelical Aggression By Chrissy Stroop
I am not your mission field.
I don’t owe you a debate.
There are no shortcuts to being a good person, least of all “right belief”.
Leavers are not a “crisis in the Church.” Treat us as humans with moral autonomySelf-determination Theory (SDT) is… — a model, a macro theory, of human motivation. It’s one of several models of human motivation, but it’s one that has been confirmed over and… More.
Proselytizing is always objectification. Let people follow their own consciences.
Our stories are ours. Leavers are not believers’ object lessons.
Remind yourself that shared valuesRemind yourself that shared values, rather than shared beliefs, are what matter when it comes to interacting with others, and that there is no replacement for doing the hard work… More, rather than shared beliefs, are what matter when it comes to interacting with others, and that there is no replacement for doing the hard work of making yourself better.
Those 5 words distill the minimum requirements to maintaining inclusive spaces.
“Everything is politics”, but the codeCode has been my life, and it has been your life, too. It is time to understand how it all works. What is Code? What is Code? is great interactive… More of conduct is not about an advance of progressive/left-wing politics. It’s about establishing a minimal level of civil and professional collaboration. Civil, non-discriminatory, and professional behavior should be a baseline and shared value held by people of all ideologies, regardless of political affiliation (with the obvious exception of hate groups).
When social spaces are designed without concern for all groups of users, the space will become an echo chamber of ideas and perspectives from a narrower range of people.
Embracing pluralism is good citizenship. Democracy demands equal accommodation.
Embracing Pluralism Is Good Citizenship
Embracing pluralismPluralism refers to people of diverse and conflicting beliefs coexisting peaceably, linked by their adherence to a shared social contract which commits members of different groups to treating others fairly… More is…
Genuinely listening with no agenda when others share about their beliefs
Treating shared values as more important than shared beliefs
Refraining from proselytizing, incl. for atheism
Posting messages of inclusion in my place of business
Baking cakes for everyone who comes to my cake shop
Leaving healthcare decisions between patients and doctors
Recognizing the rights of all to refuse participation in any religious activity
Tempering my free speech by considering whether my speech will do more harm or good
Participating in interfaith activities and aiding religious minorities who are in harm’s way
Tolerating those with whom I have substantive differencesOur friends and allies at Randimals have a saying, What makes us different, makes all the difference in the world.Randimals We agree. Randimals are made up of two different animals… More
Aggressively alienating those who do not share my religion or my atheism
Viewing others as potential converts
Flying the Christian flag or posting religious content in my place of business
Agitating for the legal ‘right” not to bake cakes for people I don’t like
Abusing conscience clauses or the religious ownership of a hospital to deny needed careThe activities that constitute care are crucial for human life. We defined care in this way: Care is “a species activity that includes everything that we do to maintain, continue,… More
Coercing participation in prayer or demanding sectarian practice in my workplace
Saying offensive things toward those who do not share my beliefs ‘because I can*
Offering aid to those who do not share my beliefs on my terms, without concern for their needs
Tolerating intolerance
Seeking domination for those who share my beliefs in public life
Express yourself: Be open in conversations, be willing to ask honest questions and engage with integrity. Be willing to disrupt and push the narrativeWhen we successfully reframe public discourse, we change the way the public sees the world. We change what counts as common sense. Because language activates frames, new language is required… More. Respond with positive intent: Avoid actions that would harm or hurt others, and ensure that all members of the community are invited to your discussions. Listen and learn:Continue to remain open to new ideas, allowing yourself to hear full perspectives. Create a supportive community: Help prop each other up and build off each other’s ideas. Provide everyone with goodwill. Channel joy through struggle:A lot of the work we do is difficult, especially in schools. Find time for joy, fun, and the thrill of learning.
Respect each other’s privacyLiving Privately. - Building and maintaining a sense of what to show in each social environment. - Discovering and creating new environments in which we can show more of ourselves. - Assessing where you can grow… More: Please do not share any messages, photos, or videos without permission of those involved.
Further,
We support justice and action.
We are explicitly anti-racist.
We resist white supremacy.
We apply content warnings to traumatic conversations, but content warnings are never used to silence conversations about justice.
We do not tolerate hate-speech. We allow swearing but we do not allow bigoted language of any kind.
We do not allow misogyny of any kind, particularly trans misogyny.
We do not perpetuate ableismable·ism /ˈābəˌlizəm/ nounA system of assigning value to people’s bodies and minds based on societally constructed ideas of normalcy, productivity, desirability, intelligence, excellence, and fitness. These constructed ideas are deeply… More in our actions or language, including refraining from use of ableist language.
We are safe for work (no nudity or pornographic images of any kind). At the same time, we support sex workers and recognize sex work is work.
We support LGBTQIA+ rights.
We do not body shameShame, she points out, is not the same as guilt. Guilt happens in response to an action or inaction. It is linked to an event, not a person. It can… More.
We are trauma-informedIn expanding our definitions of trauma, we must make sure we see trauma as a structural issue, not just an individual one. Scholars now recognize what people from marginalized communities… More.
We expect our secular/atheist/freethinking members and our religious members to show one another mutual respect. Avoid both blanket antitheist statements and religious supremacist statements. Religious conversion efforts and blanket religion bashing are both unacceptable community behavior. Do not proselytize for either religion or atheism. Failure to accept moderation in this regard will result in a ban.
This is a diverse community with people from many different backgrounds. Be welcoming and respectful toward those who are different from you. Trolling, bullying, and harassment are grounds for banning.
Please check and respect other users’ pronouns. If you misgender someone and are corrected, accept correction graciously and adjust going ahead. Willful misgendering will not be tolerated.
Accept moderation. Passive-aggressive “vaguebooking” about moderator and admin decisions is a violation of community rules. Avoid passive-aggressive behavior in general.
Spreading disinformation is not tolerated in this community. Posting baseless conspiracy theories, anti-vax sentiments, climate change denialism, or other harmful false information is prohibited. If your intention in bringing up such content is to discuss it critically with respect to its impact on society, you are expected to make that clear.
The sharing outside of this community of DMs or any screenshots or content generated within this community, is only appropriate if all parties to the content consent. Also do not share content from locked channels on open channels or outside the server without the permission of all involved, and do not share DMs unless everyone in the DM agrees. An exception would be if you need to share the content of DMs with moderators or admins privately to demonstrate harassment.
As an international company, we interact with users and fellow Automatticians whose first language is different than our own, and by improving our communication, we can improve the work we do. We avoid slang terms and idioms that may result in more confusion than clarity, and offer to explain and rephrase our words when needed. In the case of a misunderstanding, we always assume good intentions, and imagine how new possibilities can emerge.
In addition to speaking different languages, we have different neurotypes with different communication styles and norms of sociality. In the case of misunderstanding, assume good intention.
Also, Stimpunks uses identity-first language (IFL). We are autisticAutistic ways of being are human neurological variants that can not be understood without the social model of disability.If you are wondering whether you are Autistic, spend time amongst Autistic people, online and offline. If… More, not people with autism. We’re disabledThe label “disabled” means so much to me. It means I have community. It means I have rights. It means I can be proud. It means I can affirm myself… More, not people with disabilities. Most people are taught to use the opposite, person-first language, despite the overwhelming preference of Autistic, Disabled, Deaf, and Blind people for IFL.
When it comes to the language of identity, we respect personal preference.
And if someone with ANY kind of disability or medical problem tells you they would rather be called disabled or diabetic or epileptic rather than be tiptoed around with awkward phrasing like “person with diabetes” or “person with epilepsy,” for heaven’s sake don’t ARGUE.
As soon as you ARGUE with a disabled person about how they refer to their condition, you put yourself in a position where you’re trying to convince them that their condition is shameful and they shouldn’t want to label themselves with it.
Does that seem like a good idea to you?
Keep in mind that the more culture there is around a disability, and the more that disability changes someone’s fundamental perceptions and interactions with the world, the more likely it is that identity-first languageIdentity-first language places the disability-related word first in a phrase. People who prefer identity-first language for themselves often argue that their disability is an important part of who they are,… More is probably a better bet.
Very Grand EmotionsJustice, equality, fairness, mercy, longsuffering, Work, Passion, knowledge, and above all else, Truth. Those are my primary emotions.Very Grand Emotions: How Autistics and Neurotypicals Experience Emotions Differently » NeuroClastic https://youtu.be/uPRa6G2a48E… More: Tell the truth in such a way that you’re allowing others to tell their truths.
Many of us Stimpunks have very grand emotions.
Justice, equality, fairness, mercy, longsuffering, Work, Passion, knowledge, and above all else, Truth. Those are my primary emotions.
There are a number of possible reasons for neurodivergentNeurodivergent, sometimes abbreviated as ND, means having a mind that functions in ways which diverge significantly from the dominant societal standards of “normal.”NEURODIVERSITY: SOME BASIC TERMS & DEFINITIONS Neurodivergent is quite… More people experiencing emotions more intensely than others. Neurodivergent people often experience emotional lability, emotional impulsivity, and negative intent attribution.
We’re kind of an intense bunch sometimes.
But that’s okay, our intensity can be a positive thing too: Neurodivergents can be more creative and more passionate. That creativity and passion can drive us to take action where others may not, and our cognitive rigidity can give us a strong sense of morals. These features combined make us more susceptible to a variety of sensitivities, including justice sensitivityTaken together, extensive research has revealed that justice sensitivity is a valuable construct for the description, prediction, explanation, and modification of individual differences in justice-related emotion and behavior. Justice sensitivity… More.
For example, in 2015, researchers found that participants with ADHDADHD or what I prefer to call Kinetic Cognitive Style (KCS) is another good example. (Nick Walker coined this alternative term.) The name ADHD implies that Kinetics like me have… More reported significantly higher justice sensitivity and greater perceptions of injustice than those without ADHD.
That same year, Schäfer & Kraneburg did an interesting study in search of a deeper understanding of why neurodivergents are prone to Justice Sensitivity, which is what I will discuss here.
According to Baumert & Schmitt, “justice-sensitive people’s information processing should be guided in a way that raises their probability of experiencing injustice compared with less justice-sensitive people,” and their “emotional reactions to injustice should be stronger the more justice is endorsed as a fundamental value.”
In other words, people who experience high justice sensitivity have a stronger tendency to notice and identify wrongdoing and have more intense cognitive, emotional, and behavioural reactions to perceived injustice.
Additionally, “justice-sensitive people should ruminate longer and more intensively about experienced injustice than less justice-sensitive people” and should have an “inclination to restore justice and undo injustice”.
Those of us with justice sensitivity have a harder time letting these things go and have a strong desire to make right that which we feel is unfair or morally wrong.
Neurodivergents are more likely to experience justice sensitivity, in particular children, but adults as well.
“Kids with ADHD tend to have a strong sense of justice, sensitivity, and of course, energy. When they feel wronged, disempowered, or unheard, they can become quite mad.”
“Being autistic has always given me a strong sense of justice and fairness, and a burning drive to do the right thing and to fight for it, even when it seems like struggling against the weight of the world. This seems very related to my extreme empathy, which is also tied to my experience of being autistic.”
“Knowing that injustice or violence exist anywhere is deeply painful for me, whether it directly targets me or not, and I believe that I must do anything within my capacity to work for a world where none of us have to be afraid anymore. If I were not autistic, I am certain I would not have the same drive as I do now.”
And that can lead to intense, escalating discussions that result in meltdownsMeltdowns are alarm systems to protect our brains.Without meltdowns, we autistics would have nothing to protect our neurology from the very real damage that it can accumulate.I don’t melt down… More.
These moments test our compassion and patience for each other.
Compassion Isn’t CoddlingSomehow, a set of deeply conservative assumptions about children — what they’re like and how they should be raised — have congealed into the conventional wisdom in our society. Parents… More
People often mistake compassion for “being nice,” but it’s not.
The point of compassion isn’t to soften bad news or stressful situations with niceties. It’s to come from a place of kindness and understanding, rather than a place of judgment. It’s to tell the truth in such a way that you’re allowing others to tell their truths, too.
This latter form of pluralism asks individuals with such truth claims to display mutual respect for conflicting worldviews not by abandoning the exclusivity of their truth claims, but rather by acknowledging that the reasoning they find sufficient for their beliefs may not be sufficient for others.
“It’s to tell the truth in such a way that you’re allowing others to tell their truths, too.”
When navigating each other’s very grand emotions, remember to respect each other’s truth and “to tell the truth in such a way that you’re allowing others to tell their truths, too.”
Prosocial Decision Making and Conflict Resolution
We use prosocial principles, restorative practices, transformative justice, and an advice process.
The tailored core prosocial design principles we use:
TrustedAutists conceptualise the world in terms of trusted relationships with unique people.The beauty of collaboration at human scale The Autistic way of developing trust is based on experienced domain-specific competence…. More relationships within the group and strong understanding of purpose (to support an open and inclusive neurodiverse and creative team)
Fair distribution of costs and benefits
Fair and inclusive decision-making
Fast and empatheticEmpathy is not an autistic problem, it’s a human problem, it’s a deficit in imagination.We all need to work on imagining things we have not been through.Empathy, Imagination and Autism… More conflict resolution
Authority to self-govern
Appropriate relations with other groups
Tracking agreed upon behaviours (a working advice process minimises the need for tracking)
Graduated responses to transgressions to prevent a person or a subgroup from gaining powerThe 20th Century political scientist Karl Deutsch said, “Power is the ability not to have to learn.”I quote this statement often, because I think it’s one of the most important… More over others (appropriate focus on fair and inclusive distribution of resources minimises the need for coercion)
Maintain learner safety and remember what it is like to be a new contributor.
Psychological safetyPsychological safety is a condition in which you feel (1) included, (2) safe to learn, (3) safe to contribute, and (4) safe to challenge the status quo—all without fear of… More is a condition in which you feel (1) included, (2) safe to learn, (3) safe to contribute, and (4) safe to challenge the status quo—all without fear of being embarrassed, marginalizedFor me this space of radical openness is a margin a profound edge. Locating oneself there is difficult yet necessary. It is not a “safe” place. One is always at… More, or punished in some way.
All human beings have the same innate need: We long to belong.
You can’t just open the door; you have to put out a welcome mat.
The reality is that marginalized people experience discrimination in public spaces. As they move through their lives and through various spaces, they cannot predict if they will be treated with respect, let aloneAloneness is a characteristic that many creatives embrace and yearn for. Being alone is anything but lonely. Reading, writing, and creating art all demand a personal space where one can… More if they will be safe. When they attend a show or event at your space, they should be able to know what to expect, or at least what you intend to have happen—and not happen—within your walls. So, how can you let them know? You can’t just open the door; you have to put out a welcome mat.
I know you think I'm not something you're afraid of
'Cause you think that you've seen what I'm made of
Well I am even more than the two of them!
Everything they care about is what I am!
I am their fury, I am their patience
I am a conversation!
I am made o-o-o-o-of
Lo-o-o-o-ove, o-o-o-o-ove
And it's stronger than you
Lo-o-o-o-ove, lo-o-o-o-ove, lo-o-o-o-ove
And it's stronger than you
Lo-o-o-o-ove, lo-o-o-o-ove, lo-o-o-o-ove
And it's stronger than you
Lo-o-o-o-ove, lo-o-o-o-ove, lo-o-o-o-ove
-- Stronger Than You
A rainbow doesn't choose to be a rainbow
It just shines in the sky
To all of you in darkness
We're here turning on the light
Now I stand with you for the world to see
My love, my dreams, and me
My love, my dreams, and me
-- Rainbow Connections
Let love conquer your mind
Warrior, warrior
Just reach out for the light
Warrior, warrior
I am a warrior-ior-ior-ior-ior
Warrior, warrior
I am a warrior-ior-ior-ior-ior
Warrior, warrior of love
Underneath darkened skies
There's a light kept alive
Let love conquer your mind
Warrior, warrior
Just reach out for the light
Warrior, warrior
I am a warrior-ior-ior-ior-ior
Warrior, warrior
I am a warrior-ior-ior-ior-ior
Warrior, warrior of love
Warrior of love
Warrior of love
--Warrior by AURORA
Hostility is not the road
The proper basic human code
Chauvinist intolerance is what we loathe
Let's embrace diversity
By first rejecting bigotry
There’s no more room left in society for animosity
We refuse to look away
And ignore issues at bay
We will conquer the hurdles in our way (We are warriors)
(We are warriors)
We won't take shit anymore
A pebble cuts right to the core
All these excuses, what are they for? (We are warriors)
We are warriors
We are warriors
We are warriors
We are warriors
We are warriors
We are warriors
--Warriors by Bad Cop/Bad Cop
Let’s organize our lives around love and care.
Mission
We exist for the direct support and mutual aidPut simply, mutual aid is a form of political participation in which people take responsibility for caring for one another and changing political conditions by building relationships, networks of reciprocity,… More of neurodivergent and disabled people.
We serve our loved people so we can keep on living through the onslaught.
Creed
I center the marginalized and the different. I center edge cases, because edge cases are stress casesCompassion Isn’t CoddlingPeople often mistake compassion for “being nice,” but it’s not.The point of compassion isn’t to soften bad news or stressful situations with niceties. It’s to come from a… More and design is tested at the edges. I center neurodivergent and disabled experience in service to all bodymindsBodymind: A term used to challenge the idea the body and mind are experienced separately (Descartes). Written in various ways, Bodymind or Body-mind, this usage foregrounds the understanding that experiences… More.
Covenant
We pledge to act and interact in ways that contribute to an open, welcoming, diverse, inclusive, and healthy community.
Philosophy
We steer by these acquired phrases. They are compasses and stars that align us on our mission.
Interdependence
It is time to celebrate our interdependenceInterdependence acknowledges that our survival is bound up together, that we are interconnected and what you do impacts others. If this pandemic has done nothing else, it has illuminated how… More. Interdependence acknowledges that our survival is bound up together, that we are interconnected and what you do impacts others. Interdependence is the only way out of most of the most pressing issues we face today.
Edges
Our designs, our societies, and the boundaries of our compassion are tested at the edges, where the truths told are of bias, inequalityEquityA commitment to action: the process of redistributing access and opportunity to be fair and just.A way of being: the state of being free of bias, discrimination, and identity-predictable outcomes… More, injustice, and thoughtlessness.
Let's organize our lives around love and care
Let's write each other letters and call it prayer
Let's congregate in the place that isn't anywhere
At the temple of broken dreams