Dawn Prince-Hughes spent years misunderstood—ostracized, unhoused, and struggling to find her place in the world. Everything changed the day she met a 500-pound silverback gorilla.

In this powerful episode of Uncomfy, Dr. Prince-Hughes shares her extraordinary story of being identified as autistic at age 36—and how her connection with gorillas helped her understand human connection, truth, and herself. She explores what it means to belong, to embrace differences, and to connect on a primal, honest level.

Dr. Dawn Prince-Hughes is an anthropologist, primatologist, author, and co-chair of the Cultural Autism Studies Program at Yale.

Read Dawn’s memoir: Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism – https://a.co/d/hwE3EBJ

Learn more about the Cultural Autism Studies Program at Yale (CASY) – https://culturalautismstudiesatyale.space/

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Episode transcript - https://uncomfypodcastbyu.blogspot.com/2025/06/how-gorillas-helped-me-understand.html

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

00:41 Understanding Autism: Statistics and Awareness

01:08 Meet Dawn Prince-Hughes: Anthropologist and Primatologist

01:46 Dawn's Journey: From Homelessness to Working with Gorillas

03:38 Lessons from Gorillas: Social Interactions and Humor

08:32 Identifying Autism: Dawn's Personal Experience

12:49 The Power of Cultural Belonging

15:40 Societal Changes for Autistic Individuals

17:23 Conclusion