Meet the autistic scientists redefining autism research
Growing ranks of researchers on the spectrum are overcoming barriers — from neurotypical bias to sensory sensitivities — to shape autism science. https://bit.ly/3h8uG08
One paper from 2005 likened autistic children to great apes, and another from 2016 stated that language problems in autistic people stem from “a failed domestication of the human brain.” Linguist Steven Pinker famously compared autistic people to robots.
Monique Botha felt nauseous reading these descriptions. Botha was diagnosed with autism at age 19 and thought that having the condition provided an important perspective as a member of the group being studied.
Read about her mission and how involving the autism community in research goals is important because the types of autism research that get funded often differ from what autistic people want or need.
