There are many ways to fix the Autism Crisis. This bullet points can go up to the stratosphere in an instant, but for timing purposes, I’ll keep it brief.

• Focusing on the individual: What’s “normal”? According to Luria Pertucci (formerly known as “Cali Lewis”), an Internet tech show host, she wore a T-shirt to a professional conference (mostly for women’s issues in technology) earlier this year stating “Normal’s overrated”. Is she right or is she wrong? So what’s normal? Per to her definition, or some psychologist who claims to know everything and prays on the DSM? And why does “normal” have to have a DSM-esque name called nerotypical? Why are we spending so much time comparing an autistic’s mind to one’s who is “normal”? Oh and what if I am smarter than a “normal” person or someone similarly on the spectrum, but I’m dumber than say someone with Asperger’s Syndrome? Why aren’t we doing more contextual (i.e. focusing what works and what doesn’t for that specific individual) If autism is like trees, then why is the metrics assuming all trees must be alike? For god sake’s alive there is no such Internet directory tree alike!
• Context, Context and dare I say Context?  Ever had a flip phone? Do you have an office phone or an IP desk phone? See those little buttons below the screen? It’s called a “soft key”. A soft key by definition is context sensitive, meaning the buttons can change depending if you are not on a call, or on a call, or on conference because its triggered by the phone’s software. If we use that phrase with everything else, then everything should be based on what is going on in the here and now. For instance, if someone with HFA is struggling with work, and he or she is able bodied and can’t get something done for whatever reason, they need to stop focusing on their intelligence, and more on their anxiety. This is a pervasive problem in New Hampshire, where so many people focus on their “label” or ability and not be able to adjust or “lay off” constant coaching due to pressures against the individual. (do you really need someone without a PhD diploma to tell you that?)
• Conformity and Assimilation: Why in the heck in 2015 are we still trying to “program” individuals with ASD to “act like normal people”? Do I need to bring the Luria Pertucci reference again? Why can’t these middle aged women who clearly don’t know squat about social media teaching them social skills? Why can we embrace C-listed social media star’s approach of to “be you” and to “be yourself” don’t live in “a [wo]man’s world” (i.e. in my case mothers or teacher’s dreams) and contextually do conformity and assimilation when there is a case (i.e provide some documentation – like we need more) to do so (if say someone who clearly has some “creepy” factor but the student next to him is not as creepy.) I am not on the camp of “nerodiversity” but in the concept its a good idea for the most part.
• Better training. Silly things starting with “social” is not cutting it. In fact, such professional training courses such as “social capital” or teaching Aspies or autistics the “social rules of the road” isn’t cutting it in 2015. It’s just enhancing an old ladies network of “keeping the autism stereotype alive.” Some expert here in NH or Massachusetts or California or New York must, I would hope know something about “context” with a PhD to confirm this silly theory. In anyways, it is all about context. Notice watching TV these days is such a sensory overload because everything is so literally loud? It’s because of some stupid innovations such as “cost cutting” and “automation” and master control being in remote sites in another part of the country also factor the move to digital TV where audio is supposed to be “dynamic” – (i.e. the audio quality should move with a show or movie’s mood.) Nothing can replace an audio board op who can literally “dial down” when something gets “too loud”. What does this have in common. CONTEXT! Resolving issues relevant to the specific individuals ability or inabilities specific to them and not treat them to the “spec sheet” issued by the DSM!
• Government Compliance and Accountability: Nothing more disturbing is how municipal school districts and larger agencies are taking a lot of money to spend for special needs and not account for it responsibly. Sometimes the money that gets received by the larger government doesn’t go into the classroom. Is that the student’s business? Perhaps if they are over 18. Why state and local governments (or SL&Gs) feel its a private matter to disclose material financial information to the public? What’s more disturbing “privacy laws” that was supposed to protect information between the “chair and keyboard” or the “chair to the keypad” is being used as a political ploy to not have to disclose information that is material to the tax paying community without going into disclosing student’s names and other sensitive information! Meanwhile many school districts have created a “culture of secrecy” where even trivial things are protected by “confidentiality.” If the Dreaded Private Sector has to abide by laws like Sarbanes Oxley, Dodd Frank, then why can’t the public sector be held to the same level? (Discussions on privacy vs transparency vs. protecting peoples confidentiality will be a frequent discussion.)
• Self[less] Interest Groups – I will refuse to take any training issued by a University that employs people who have never had a real job. These people never really managed or know operational skills. I can’t stand Venn Diagrams other silly diagrams that took decades to invent. I prefer orgcharts to begin with. If teachers are not proficient in Microsoft Office Professional or Enterprise they should be automatically fired. In 2015, Teachers and special needs managers need to know how to manage logistical operations. They need to learn start and end processes. This is no different than what Mayer Johnson has developed, but the business world is born and dies on processes. If you want students work in the corporate sector (as it seems to be the only vocational option) and you want to indoctrinate uber-levels of accountability, well maybe you should eat your own dog food! Autistics really need clarity, a good start point and a good end point. And Boardmaker can’t cut it. Not any other PECS can do it as good as Visio. Most school districts and area agencies have MS Office Professional (at least a minimum) and Visio (I believe) comes standard in Professional or greater.  I digressed. Special Interest groups need to balance both the true human factor of special needs, but also need to remain professional and serve the public’s best interest of effective and efficient, but human service delivery. In fact one of the best companies is no longer with us, it was called Digital Equipment Corporation. I recommend people strangers to that subject to read up its corporate history.

*