Michael Forbes Wilcox

Author's details

Name: Michael Forbes Wilcox
Date registered: October 8, 2010

Latest posts

  1. The Four Kingdoms of Autism — January 29, 2019
  2. Friendships — November 26, 2018
  3. It Runs in the Family — November 25, 2018
  4. Romances of Old Berkshire — November 24, 2018
  5. Edwin Curtis Bidwell: an Early Physician of Vineland NJ — November 5, 2018

Most commented posts

  1. Was Steve Jobs Autistic? — 37 comments
  2. My appearance on “Where We Live” on WNPR November 2, 2011 — 10 comments
  3. Is There An Autistic Personality? — 9 comments
  4. Is It Time to Abandon the DSM? — 9 comments
  5. Gaze Aversion: An Autistic Adaptation — 8 comments

Author's posts listings

May 28

A Peak Experience in Three States

Categories:

Hiking, Nature, Personal

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Early Draft: to be revised upon completion of our hike tomorrow (May 29). As of the night before, we have about 15 people signed up for a 6-to-7-mile hike tomorrow, featuring 3 peaks in 3 different states, and a bonus visit to the high-point in Connecticut (not its highest peak, although that is nearby). We …

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May 01

Steve Silberman @AutismConnectMA

Categories:

Activism, Autism, Personal

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Autism Connections was honored to have Steve Silberman keynote our 28th Annual Autism Conference on April 27. Among many other services, Autism Connections houses the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) Autism Resource Center for the western four counties of Massachusetts. I was privileged to introduce Steve to the Conference. I prepared remarks for the 15 …

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Apr 29

Blogging Hiatus

Categories:

Autism, Personal

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I’ve not been a regular blogger lately. That’s about to change (I hope). I have been doing lots of writing over the past few months, but haven’t shared it here. I’ve given lectures and talks for which I’ve prepared notes, and I have more in the works. Most of what I’ve just described relates to …

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Feb 12

The Parenting Spectrum

Categories:

Autism

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A recent article in the Washington Post has garnered some much-needed attention to a long-standing problem for the autistic community. A mother tells the story of a family outing in a park, which she thought had been going very well. It had been a good day at the park. A miracle day, in fact, for …

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Feb 11

Equivalent Lands

Categories:

Family, Personal

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A piece of local (New England) history. Did you know? I had never heard this term, although I was familiar with some of the boundary problems that had existed between Connecticut and Massachusetts. In the 1970s, I lived in Southwick Mass, which has a block of land that juts into Connecticut, and disrupts the otherwise …

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Dec 11

Hello OLLI Interview: Autism in the Age of Neurodiversity

Categories:

Activism, Autism, Disabilities, Family, Personal

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Advance publicity for my OLLI course on autism is in full swing. Last week (on December 6), I attended an Open House in Pittsfield and gave a short pitch, and then (on December 7) I appeared on local public access TV in a half-hour interview, available here. The interview was a lot of fun, giving …

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Dec 01

2017 AANE Annual Conference: My Workshop on Language and Mythology

Categories:

Autism

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Click Here for an Outline of My Presentation I will be conducting a workshop, as part of the December 2 AANE Annual Conference at Bentley University. The outline is really just a teaser. I cannot possibly do justice to all of the topics listed, in the time allotted. I hope to generate discussion and to …

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Dec 01

AANE Workshop: The Language and Mythology of Autism

Categories:

Autism

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The Language and Mythology of Autism The words we use reveal our values, and the language we use can shape our beliefs. To be autistic is to be neurodivergent, and to be neurodivergent is to enjoy a different way of life. Identity Pathology Euphemisms   Empathy Functioning Special Interests   Michael Forbes Wilcox, MA, CFA …

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Nov 28

Autism in the Age of Neurodiversity: Course Announcement

Categories:

Autism

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I am pleased to announce that I will be presenting a series of six lectures on autism in this winter’s Berkshire OLLI program. NB: the venue has been changed from BCC to Simon’s Rock. One of my objectives will be to dispel some of the myths and misunderstandings around autism. Here is everything you need …

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Nov 27

Does Our National Accounting System Reflect Our Values?

Categories:

Economics, Politics

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A rhetorical question, I’m afraid. We (I’m wearing my Economist’s Hat here) have long been aware of the hidden cost of externalities, those insidious, unmeasured penalties incurred by society in a profit-driven economy. In our national accounts, for example, we measure the dollar value of energy produced (such as electricity or gasoline), but we do …

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