In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott react to a recent article claiming dogs can be “autistic” — and unpack why this framing misunderstands both animals and neurodivergence.

They discuss how natural behaviours in animals get mislabelled as “autistic traits,” why deficit-based language harms autistic people, and how ableist assumptions shape research across species.

Together, they explore:

• How research bias leads to fear-based language like “risk” and “behavioural problems”
• Why neurodivergence is a natural evolutionary advantage, not a deficit
• The danger of reinforcing stereotypes (e.g., “cats are autistic,” “hyper dogs are ADHD”)
• Why splitting neurodivergence into strict labels misses the bigger picture
• How science goes wrong when it assumes autism is a negative trait
• The importance of autistic-led insight in neurodivergent research

This is a funny, fiery, and thought-provoking take on what happens when good intentions collide with bad science — and why autistic voices must guide any conversation about neurodivergence, no matter the species.

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