This article looks at how autism research can be improved by including autistic people as equal partners in the process. The authors—neurodivergent researchers—argue that using ideas from philosophy, like critical realism and standpoint theory, can help create more respectful, accurate, and inclusive research. They believe that valuing autistic perspectives will lead to kinder, more useful research that truly reflects autistic experiences, benefiting both autistic researchers and the wider community.
This article looks at how autism research can be improved by including autistic people as equal partners in the process. The authors—neurodivergent researchers—argue that using ideas from philosophy, like critical realism and standpoint theory, can help create more respectful, accurate, and inclusive research. They believe that valuing autistic perspectives will lead to kinder, more useful research that truly reflects autistic experiences, benefiting both autistic researchers and the wider community.