Today’s episode critiques a recent Drexel study that purportedly measures “Passing as Non-Autistic” (PAN) in adolescents using neurocognitive markers. The author of the critique, Jaime Hoerricks, PhD, argues that the study misinterprets autistic masking—a survival strategy in unaccommodating environments—as a sign of “efficiency” or “cognitive strength” rather than a trauma-informed adaptation. Dr. Hoerricks contends that the study’s methodology is flawed, relying on biased assessment tools and teacher observations that often fail to recognise autistic girls and non-English speakers. Ultimately, she asserts that such research is a form of “soft surveillance” that pathologises autistic people’s coping mechanisms and reinforces systemic demands for conformity, rather than promoting genuine understanding or support.

Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/passing-the-test-failing-the-point

Let me know what you think.

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