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Natasha: Medically, it is very expensive to be autistic. Autistic people are more likely to have chronic medical conditions. It's expensive for the average middle class family. For people who have other racial, cultural, gender, and financial barriers it can often be insurmountable #SNS2026

Natasha: When she told her mom she was autistic, her mom said that she couldn't be because she acted like everyone else in her family. And so if she was autistic so was everyone in her family. Natasha said hmmm. #SNS2026

Natasha's first daughter was more obviously autistic, her older daughter less so. So when her second daughter was diagnosed, Natasha said that if her daughter was autistic then she was too. The pediatrician said hmmm. #SNS2026

Factors contributing to barriers to access for autism for families of color: There are systemic barriers, for Black families specifically. There are inequitable healthcare systems, inadequate funding and research for autism programs. Addressing this issue is a justice matter. #SNS2026

Audience member: Autistic girls and women can mask more than autistic boys and men. Natasha says yes. Audience member: Sometimes the mask is so thick it fuses to your skin and you don't know where you end and the mask begins. #SNS2026

Audience member: Self denialism is a thing. Natasha says, yes, especially when the culture is hostile to autism. @faethinking.bsky.social: Two people can have the same traits, but be treated entirely differently depending on their gender, race etc. #SNS2026

@autisticenough.bsky.social the difference in presentation between autistic girls and boys leads to girls being discriminated against for showing the same traits, being told to act like a "lady" etc. #SNS2026

Camille Proctor: Women are expected to be the caregivers, like Natasha was with her six siblings. Those women can have weightier masking because if they're not OK then no one is OK. #SNS2026

Audience member Maiya: We're expected to be she boss badasses strong women, and anything that disrupts that is side-eyed. Natasha: And if you can't live up to that, it's bad. Can lead to mental health issues, e.g., depression. #SNS2026

Audience member: Autistic woman, Trans, AMAB, was constantly told she was doing masculinity wrong. Her brothers were diagnosed early, she was diagnosed at age 31. Natasha: Research often overlooks autistic people who were assigned a gender that doesn't fit. #SNS2026

Audience member from Ukraine: Her daughter has a friend who is a girl. Definitely autistic but undiagnosed. Social struggles come from being unsupported. Natasha: This conference has a a lot of ND people all in one people with competing access needs, voice regulation, personal boundaries. #SNS2026

Natasha: A lot of autistic people know that it's so much and often too much to take care of other people's need and they still do it. [And this is one reason why burnout can be an issue.] #SNS2026

Audience member: Chinese from Hong Kong, ESL. Came here because we live in a political environment in which it is such a gift to be able to find communities. In their culture, that doesn't exist as much, but also people are good at finding cracks to do things. #SNS2026

Natasha: Wrapping up by talking about actionable steps: Disability justice: She tells her kids they are an equity house not an equality house. We do not all need the same things. We need to move from independent stance to an interdependent stance, community minded. No One Is Independent. #SNS2026

Natasha: Access intimacy: Proactively providing people with accessibility options instead of making them ask for it. #SNS2026

Now we are in the breakout room with Natasha after her keynote. Brittany: There are not a lot of options for Black autistic people in the SF Bay Area. Natasha: What kind of resources would you like to see? Brittany: Black girls need more freely available informational resources. #SNS2026

Natasha: So you want life skills, training, and supports for teens and younger adults but culturally aware? That sounds like there not being enough OTs, SLPs, etc. that are Black. If we want more resources for autistic women, Black women especially—we need more Black women in the field. #SNS2026

Brittany: Yes, it's a void. Gemma: So grateful to be in a breakout room that has the lights lowered. She is a dietician and she works on food access. Does Natasha have advice for an early career researcher? Natasha: "Acting In" manifests in eating disorders, for one example. #SNS2026

Natasha: We need more research on how to help people with food access issues. We also need more role modeling about what Black autistic people can be, so we can have more professionals doing outreach to Black kids and adults who have flown under the diagnosis radar. We need access. #SNS2026

Natasha: We also need more funding and grants to support Black people who want to work in the field of supporting neurodivergent and autistic Black children and adults. #SNS2026

Natasha: The idea is to empower pediatricians to take care of autistic children in general, but also wider issues like supporting an autistic child with GI issues, sleep issues, self-injury difficulties. And also encouraging curiosity and asking questions together in monthly meetings. #SNS2026

Natasha: After ECHO training, they are seeing signs of Pediatricians being much more confident in their ability to get autistic children referred for diagnosis, and for supporting families in general. The ECHO training is portable, any hospital can do it. #SNS2026

Audience member: We need more supports for disabled people who want to be in autism supports and services work but who because of their disabilities cannot do things like take standardized tests, or who because of reduced capacity take longer to complete coursework. Race can compound this. #SNS2026