Today’s episode critiques the modern “scientific study” of autism, asserting that it has transformed autistic individuals into a mere dataset subject to extraction rather than being treated as people. The author of the critique, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that contemporary research, exemplified by a specific study using a large federal cohort, prioritises algorithmic modeling and statistical throughput over genuine autistic-led scholarship and lived experience. The core concern is the violence of convenience, where historical consent allows researchers to study children’s data in absentia, converting complex relational lives into measurable coefficients and perpetuating a pathology-centered view of autistic existence. Ultimately, Dr. Hoerricks calls for a fundamental shift toward relational research built with the autistic community, where sovereignty and ongoing relationship replace mere technical access and abstraction.

Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/the-second-lexicographer-when-autism

Let me know what you think.

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