Representing the Autism Spectrum

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This article refers to:

Ethical Advocacy Across the Autism Spectrum: Beyond Partial Representation

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks to Heather Browning and David Batho for their feedback on earlier drafts.

Notes

1 In terms of support needs, this distinction maps onto the mild/severe or high-functioning/low-functioning labels often used to describe different parts of the spectrum. We try to avoid these labels, as many autistics find them misleading and offensive.

2 Importantly, we do not mean to say that the neurodiversity movement should only be considered a movement to right past injustices. By ignoring or misrepresenting the autism spectrum, epistemic injustice can also undermine the very science on autism itself. Recent work in the philosophy of science on “model pluralism” (Veit 2019) suggests that alternative ways of framing debates and a diversity of models should be considered necessary steps toward a better representation of reality, and hence progress in science.

Additional information

Funding

This research was produced in part due to funding from the University of Bristol, as well as the Australian Laureate Fellowship project “A Philosophy of Medicine for the 21st Century” [Ref: FL170100160].