One word that often arises in conjunction with 'autism' - particularly when discussing Autistic children - is 'behaviour.' We hear terms like 'autism behaviours' or 'challenging behaviour' or 'repetitive behaviour' or 'dysfunctional behaviours.' It's no secret that AUsome Training has issues with the B-Word. It is almost always used to define actions in negative ways, but more than that, it is seeded through books, videos, discussions, training and more as if there's nothing more to 'those people' beyond their 'behaviours.'

Behaviour - or actions, responses, reactions - does not emerge magically from the ether but is the product of experiences and an expression of personality, of needs, and a direct response to those experiences. This is how we have understood 'behaviour' for decades now, yet Autistics continue to be treated as if we are just mechanisms without feelings or intellect.