In this episode of Autistic Advocacy, Dr. Angela Kingdon and Matt Lowry LPP take on two loaded concepts in the autism conversation: “giftedness” and “profound autism.”

They unpack how both ideas are used to gatekeep advocacy, justify harmful interventions, and reinforce damaging hierarchies within autistic culture—while offering a more accurate, affirming lens rooted in lived experience.

🎧 What You’ll Learn:

• Why “profound autism” is not a clinical diagnosis, but a profit-driven label used by the ABA industry to secure funding and silence autistic voices
• How functioning labels and “autism levels” serve capitalism by rewarding masking and punishing authenticity
• The connection between giftedness, autism, and vulnerability to addiction, burnout, and mental health struggles
• How “Highly Sensitive Person” and “indigo child” language often masks undiagnosed autism, especially in women and AFAB individuals
• The harm caused by Autism Speaks, ABA therapy, and helicopter parenting in controlling autistic children rather than supporting autonomy
• Why autistic pattern recognition is both a powerful strength and a contributor to burnout and sensory overwhelm
• Real-life example: Dan Harmon’s experience with burnout, substance use, and creative pressure as an autistic showrunner
• How to replace outdated functioning labels with a framework based on masking levels and lived support needs

Resources:

Harmontown Movie - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIJICzhe0T4&ab_channel=FREEMOVIES

Related Episodes:

Sherlock is Autistic

Community is Autistic

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