Initial responses to the questionnaire for my next event for families of autistic children have come in, and as a shock to absolutely no one, every single family so far has said the thing they want to know most is how to help their child pursue their own goals.
It's almost like researchers have literally never ever bothered to ask.
And I know why. Spicy take incoming...
Autism Researchers writ large are not interested in autism at all. They are interested in their particular area of science or technology and they know they can use autism funding to help them advance that science or technology.
It has never been about improving outcomes for autistic people. It hasn't even been about listening to families over autistic people themselves. It has always been about advancing science for the sake of it. Autistic people have been a living laboratory of convenience.
