Vince and Vanessa review, in a trice, research about who self-identifies as Autistic and why, followed by a state-of-the-art paper on why terms like “profound autism” and functioning labels (i.e.: high-functioning or low-functioning) end up causing harm.

Show Notes

Self-identifying as Autistic

Ahuvia IL, Gurbuz E, Cuda J, et al. Identifying as Autistic Without a Formal Diagnosis: Who Self-Identifies as Autistic and Why? Autism in Adulthood. 2026;0(0). doi:10.1177/25739581251409920

Transgender and Non-binary Stats, and History

Canada is the first country to provide census data on transgender and non-binary people

Ehalt, Kelsie. Assumptions About the Assinnu: Gender, Sex, and Sexuality in Ancient Texts and Modern Scholarship.
https://doi.org/10.48617/etd.167

Warrier, V., Greenberg, D.M., Weir, E. et al. Elevated rates of autism, other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses, and autistic traits in transgender and gender-diverse individuals. Nat Commun 11, 3959 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17794-1

Moore, I., Morgan, G., Welham, A., & Russell, G. (2022). The intersection of autism and gender in the negotiation of identity: A systematic review and metasynthesis. Feminism & Psychology, 32(4), 421-442. https://doi.org/10.1177/09593535221074806

Autistic Trait and Mental Health Surveys

Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory

Validating the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale for the positive mental health surveillance of adults in Canada

Löwe B, Wahl I, Rose M, Spitzer C, Glaesmer H, Wingenfeld K, Schneider A, Brähler E. A 4-item measure of depression and anxiety: validation and standardization of the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) in the general population. J Affect Disord. 2010 Apr;122(1-2):86-95. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2009.06.019. Epub 2009 Jul 17. PMID: 19616305.

Eriksson JM, Andersen LM, Bejerot S. RAADS-14 Screen: validity of a screening tool for autism spectrum disorder in an adult psychiatric population. Mol Autism. 2013 Dec 9;4(1):49. doi: 10.1186/2040-2392-4-49. PMID: 24321513; PMCID: PMC3907126.

WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0)

The Double Empathy Problem

Milton, Damian & Waldock, Krysia & Keates, Nathan. (2023). Autism and the ‘double empathy problem’. 10.4324/9781003189978-6.

Milton, Damian. (2012). On the ontological status of autism: The ‘double empathy problem’. Disability & Society – DISABIL SOC. 27. 1-5. 10.1080/09687599.2012.710008.

Autistic Language Hypothesis

Rachel Cullen’s Autistic Language Hypothesis

Marian Schembari

Marian Schembari. A Little Less Broken

Anti-Autistic Bias

Sasson, N., Faso, D., Nugent, J. et al. Neurotypical Peers are Less Willing to Interact with Those with Autism based on Thin Slice Judgments. Sci Rep 7, 40700 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep40700

Price, Devon. How Do I Cope with Anti-Autistic Bias?

Profound Concerns about “Profound Autism”

Kapp, S.K. Profound Concerns about “Profound Autism”: Dangers of Severity Scales and Functioning Labels for Support Needs. Educ. Sci. 2023, 13, 106. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13020106

Autistic Self Advocacy Network. Functioning Labels Harm Autistic People.

Diana Carson. Walking With Joaquin.

Researchers

Isaac Ahuvia
(ResearchGate)

Josephine Cuda
(ResearchGate)

Emine Gürbüz
(ResearchGate)

Steven K. Kapp
(ResearchGate)

Abigail Houck
(ResearchGate)

Jacquelyn A. Gates
(ResearchGate)

Jessica L. Schleider
(ResearchGate)

Ava N. Gurba
(ResearchGate)