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What do autistic people want from autism research?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 July 2019

Chloe Silverman*
Affiliation:
Center for Science, Technology, & Society and Department of Politics, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104. [email protected]://drexel.edu/coas/faculty-research/faculty-directory/Chloe-Silverman/

Abstract

Research that engages the experiences and insights of autistics and their caregivers can be more ethical, less stigmatizing, and innovative. To avoid reproducing established assumptions, researchers should learn how autistics and their caregivers understand behavioral and communicative differences, and how they prioritize interventions and accommodations. Fostering “autistic flourishing” requires that researchers focus on similarities between autistics and neurotypical people while allowing for autistic differences. Consulting autistics helps ensure that their personhood is acknowledged.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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