Today’s episode explores the lived experience of autistic intimacy and co-regulation, contrasting it with the often clinical and deficit-focused lens of academic autism research. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, describes the profound comfort and connection she shares with her partner, highlighting how their mutual co-regulation is a foundational aspect of their daily life, akin to a prayer. She then critiques the scientific literature, finding it lacks language and understanding for such joyful, reciprocal autistic relationships, instead framing co-regulation as a “deficit management strategy” or “intervention.” Ultimately, she advocates for a shift in perspective, emphasising that autistic joy and love exist independently of therapeutic frameworks, and thus, if research fails to capture this truth, autistic individuals must create their own narratives.

Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/where-is-the-joy-co-regulation-connection

Let me know what you think.

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