Responsible Science Isn’t Neutral: A Letter to the Autism Research Community
To the autism research community:
We write this with urgency and care.
The landscape of autism research has changed. So too has the conversation. Autistic voices have risen — not as subjects to be studied, but as people to be heard. Yet too often, the research enterprise still treats us as variables in someone else’s experiment rather than as partners in a shared mission.
We want to be clear: we do not oppose science. We are here because of science. But we reject the idea that science is or should be neutral when it comes to human dignity.
Science chooses what to study. It chooses how to frame its questions. It chooses which outcomes are valued and which are discarded. These choices are never neutral. They reflect assumptions, incentives and worldviews.
When autism is framed primarily as a deficit, a disorder, or a deviation from the norm, those frames carry consequences. They shape interventions. They influence policy. They teach the public — and our own families — to see autistic people as broken, burdensome or in need of fixing.
We believe in science that reduces suffering — not identity.
We believe in research that supports autistic people’s lives — not that seeks to reduce the number of autistic lives.
We believe in inquiry that is ethical, inclusive and guided by the principle of #nothingaboutuswithoutus.
To be responsible, autism research must evolve. It must prioritize participatory methods, center lived experience and remain vigilant against narratives of erasure, however softly spoken.
We do not expect perfection. But we do demand accountability — and partnership. Let us build a future where science serves the full humanity of autistic people, and not the fiction of a world without us.
Signed,
Autism Answers Back