Episode 245: Legacy of Normalisation - Paperclip to HHS and Autism

episode

The AutSide Podcast not yet transcribed

▲ 0

Transcript

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet Upvotes decide what gets transcribed next — 0 so far. Sign in to upvote

More from The AutSide Podcast

Episode 452: Pressing Pause—Ethics of Estrangement and Non-Ownership 11 min · 20 Dec 2025

All episodes from The AutSide Podcast →

Report any issue

Source

Recorded27 May 2025

Publisherapi.substack.com ↗

Handlerec:2936929

Show notes

“Today’s episode asserts that post-World War II American institutions, particularly those related to health, education, and ‘behavioural science,’ were built upon foundations linked to Nazi ideology and eugenics. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that Operation Paperclip brought individuals with fascist ties into positions of power, and that key figures in autism research and behavioural therapy, such as Hans Asperger and Ole Ivar Lovaas, had documented connections to the Nazi regime or operated within the existing framework of eugenics. Dr. Hoerricks claims that modern systems for classifying and treating autism, like Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), prioritise compliance and normalisation, reflecting these historical underpinnings. Ultimately, they suggest that the lack of a formal reckoning with these historical ties has allowed these problematic logics to persist, impacting how neurodivergent and disabled individuals are understood and treated today.”Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/the-system-was-built-this-way-fromLet me know what you think.The AutSide is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autside.substack.com/subscribe

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.