Episode 345: The Assimilation of Autism—Baron-Cohen's Deficit Empire

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Recorded04 Sep 2025

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Today’s episode criticises Simon Baron-Cohen’s foundational work on autism, particularly his 1994 “accent study,” arguing it frames neurodivergence as a deficit rather than a natural variation. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, contends that Baron-Cohen’s research, and the Autism Research Centre’s subsequent work, promotes an assimilationist view, demanding autistic individuals conform to neurotypical norms, even in speech patterns. This perspective overlooks phenomena like gestalt language processing and has exerted significant, often harmful, influence on how autism is understood and treated in policy and research. Dr. Hoerricks advocates for recognising autistic communication and identity as valid expressions of self-preservation and belonging, rejecting the notion that difference is a flaw requiring correction.Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/colonising-neurodivergence-baronLet 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

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