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Autism and Disability Studies at CSI

Welcome

Welcome to the Autism and Disability Studies Guide. This guide is intended to provide information about the Autism Spectrum Advance Certificate and the Disability Studies minor at the College of Staten Island as well as helpful resources that can aid in researching topics related to disability studies. Most resources featured in this guide are available through access to the College of Staten Island Library or the CUNY system, however some Open Access and Open Educational Resource options are mentioned. 

Disclaimer: Although the author of this guide has autism and has used her knowledge of disability to inform the content of this guide, there are certainly areas and aspects to the topic of disability studies that will not be covered in this guide. The author recognizes that there are various approaches to the topic of disability studies and does not claim that there is a "correct way" to study disability. Please reach out to the author, Ashley Dirzis, if you have any comments, questions or recommendations. 

What is Disability Studies?

Disability Studies refers to the interdisciplinary field of exploring disability from a social, cultural, and political perspective instead of a strictly medical perspective. 

Related Events at CSI

Popular Disability Studies Books

Care Work

 In her latest book of essays, Leah writes passionately and personally about disability justice, on subject such as the creation of care webs, collective access, and radically accessible spaces

New Narratives of Disability

This volume explores questions about narrative frameworks in disability research. 

NeuroTribes

A groundbreaking book that upends conventional thinking about autism and suggests a broader model for acceptance, understanding, and full participation in society for people who think differently. 

Cover of the book

Nothing about Us Without Us

 "Nothing About Us Without Us" is the first book in the literature on disability to provide a theoretical overview of disability oppression that shows its similarities to, and differences from, racism, sexism, and colonialism. 

Ableism in Academia

Ableism in Academia provides an interdisciplinary outlook on ableism that is currently missing. Through reporting of research data and exploring personal experiences, the contributors explore the concept of what it means to be and to work outside the so-called norm. 

Autism and Disability Studies Faculty at CSI

 Professor Kristen Gillespie-Lynch is the Director of CSI’s Advanced Certificate Program in ASD and a prolific researcher of Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disabilities. Professor Gillespie-Lynch also directs Building Bridges Project REACH, a mentorship program for college students with disabilities. Some of her recent publications can be found below:

Recent Disability Studies News and Artcles