We founded Autism Map Maker on a simple truth: You cannot simply place a Deaf student in an Autism program, or an Autistic student in a Deaf program, and hope they find their way. The intersection of these identities creates entirely new terrain. This volume is the manifesto and the manual for charting a new course.
This curriculum moves entirely away from the deficit model of "broken ears" or "bad behavior."
Instead, we embrace Dual Citizenship: our students are fully Deaf and fully Autistic, and we honor both equally.
Key Concepts in Volume 1:
The Zone of Confusion: How to differentiate between Autism, Language Deprivation Syndrome (LDS), and Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)—and how to spot the "Triple Diagnosis" (ASD+LDS+RAD).
Diagnostic Adaptations: Why gold-standard tools like the ADOS-2 fail our kids without critical adaptations, like using fluent ASL examiners and rejecting eye contact as a deficit.
The Device Illusion: Why a child who "tests at 20dB" with implants might still be functionally deaf due to Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) and "painful static."
Intervention as Diagnosis: Why the most definitive tool isn't a test, but how the child responds when we flood their environment with accessible language.