Dr. Adriana Crostley came to the 3rd Asperger World Meeting with a double view: she is a physician and state director of education and outreach at the Autism Society of Texas — an affiliate of the Autism Society of America — and she is the mother of Joshua, a 17-year-old with nonverbal autism. Her talk: “Inclusion and prevention: how societies can transform lives.”
Disability is also measured in the environment
“There comes a point where the term disability can be measured socially.”
Crostley used the comparison of two phones with different systems: it isn't that one is “broken,” it's that they work differently and expectations can be adjusted. Just as ramps were a civil-rights achievement for wheelchair users, the challenge now is to identify what accommodations an invisible disability like autism needs.
Sensory processing: what you don't see
Much of the talk was practical. Light, sound, balance, smell, taste and interoception (sensing the body's internal signals) can leave an autistic person overwhelmed at work or at an event without anyone understanding why. Concrete examples from the Autism Society of Texas:
- Asking volunteers and staff not to wear strong perfumes or colognes.
- Stores with sensory-friendly hours (less light and noise).
- Sensory kits (headphones, items to reduce anxiety in new places).
- At events, a quiet space the person can retreat to if they become overwhelmed.
- Giving feedback to organizations building new spaces so they are born accessible.
Masking and burnout
She explained masking: the autistic person imitates neurotypical people to “fit in,” with the brain working overtime, up to a point of burnout where they can no longer keep going at work or school. Creating safe spaces where masking isn't needed is, in itself, prevention.
Employment: the hard number
“Even in the United States, more than 70% of people with autism are unemployed or in jobs below their abilities.”
Her proposals connect with what María Auxiliadora Ramírez already raised: transition from age 14, adapted interviews (not always in person or based on quick questions), reasonable job accommodations, and part-time or volunteer options when a full-time job isn't the route.
Why it is prevention
The thread with the rest of the day: depression in autistic adolescents and adults “comes from feeling isolated, from feeling not included.” That's why inclusion and suicide prevention are, for Crostley, the same work — and it's everyone's work: government, companies, community and every home.
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Who is Adriana Crostley?
She is a physician, state director of education and outreach at the Autism Society of Texas (an affiliate of the Autism Society of America) and the mother of a 17-year-old with nonverbal autism. She took part in the 3rd Asperger World Meeting (2024).
What does it mean that disability is measured socially?
That the environment largely determines how much a condition limits someone: with the right accommodations — sensory, workplace, spatial — an autistic person can fully take part, and without them they are excluded. Disability is not only in the person.
What concrete accommodations did Adriana Crostley propose?
Sensory-friendly hours and spaces, sensory kits, quiet areas at events, avoiding strong perfumes, adapted job interviews, workplace transition from age 14 and reasonable job accommodations.