10+ Best Articles on Autism
The most useful articles on autism from around the web—beginners to advanced—curated by thought leaders and our community. We focus on timeless pieces and update the list whenever we discover new, must-read articles or videos—make sure to bookmark and revisit this page.
Top 5 Autism Articles
At a glance: these are the articles that have been most read, shared, and saved on autism by Refind users in 2023 so far.
- I was 35 when I discovered I'm on the autism spectrum. Here's how it changed my life.
- An animator wonders: can you ever depict someone without making them a caricature?
- Why the neurodiversity movement has become harmful
- 'My autism made me an artist but I wanted a family'
- The Boy Whose Brain Could Unlock Autism — Matter
Videos
Watch a video to get a quick overview.
The forgotten history of autism
Decades ago, few pediatricians had heard of autism. In 1975, 1 in 5,000 kids was estimated to have it. Today, 1 in 68 is on the autism spectrum. What caused this steep rise? Steve Silberman points to “a perfect storm of autism awareness” — a pair of psychologists with an accepting view, an unexpected pop culture moment and a new clinical test. But to really understand, we have to go back further to an Austrian doctor by the name of Hans Asperger, who published a pioneering paper in 1944. Because
What is ...?
New to #autism? These articles make an excellent introduction.
What is autism? How the term became too broad to have meaning any more
The fashion for celebrating ‘neurodiversity’ ignores those with debilitating severe autism, says autism self-advocate and author Tom Clements
Short Articles
Short on time? Check out these useful short articles on autism—all under 10 minutes.
An animator wonders: can you ever depict someone without making them a caricature?
An animator’s ethical conundrum: how does he depict an Autistic person without reducing him to a caricature?
'My autism made me an artist but I wanted a family'
David Downes, who paints from his photographic memory, says being autistic has shaped his whole life.
If I didn’t have autism, would my encyclopedic knowledge of dinosaurs be a problem?
Some models of autism frame special interest as something unsettling and obsessive. This is an unfair double standard
Different for girls: understanding autism
Girls with autism are often misdiagnosed, but a new graphic novel aims to put them in the picture, says Amelia Hill
Long Articles
These are some of the most-read long-form articles on autism.
Why the neurodiversity movement has become harmful
The movement has good intentions, but it favours the high-functioning and overlooks those who struggle with severe autism
I was 35 when I discovered I'm on the autism spectrum. Here's how it changed my life.
I knew, on some level, that I was autistic by the time I was in fifth grade.
A Controversial Autism Treatment Is About to Become a Very Big Business
Duke University and a private company have been selling access to unproven cord blood treatments for autism. Now, they're planning something much bigger.
The Boy Whose Brain Could Unlock Autism — Matter
Autism changed Henry Markram’s family. Now his Intense World theory could transform our understanding of the condition.
The intriguing history of the autism diagnosis
How an autism diagnosis became both a clinical label and an identity; a stigma to be challenged and a status to be embraced
Publications
We monitor hundreds of publications, blogs, newsletters, and news sources in Autism, including:
Neuroscience News
Official Neuroscience News Twitter. Brain research news articles on neuroscience, psychology, AI, neurology, brain cancer, robotics, mental health & science.
Vox
Our world, explained.
Psychology Today
Insight about everybody's favorite subject: Ourselves.
TED Talks
TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas. 🔴 Get TED ideas delivered straight to your inbox — sign up for a TED newsletter today: http://t.ted.com/mnZ3Z9A
VICE
Original reporting on everything that matters. Sign up for the VICE Newsletter: http://link1.vice.com/join/6qz/signup
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We monitor hundreds of sources on autism, including Neuroscience News, Vox, Psychology Today, TED Talks, VICE, and many more.
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