Research Work

In this paper, I discuss many of the pitfalls and difficulties regarding autism research often led by non-autistic perspectives. Using this as a jumping-off point, I highlight several autistic researchers and their work in-depth, how it contrasts with work done by those outside of the neurodivergent community, and what our perspective can lend to the overall research field. Feel free to read the full paper here!

This paper discusses some of the literature revolving around ABA and its varying levels of effectiveness when it comes to helping autistic people in certain areas. Drawing from my autistic perspective, I posit the ethical concerns that those in the autistic community have with ABA as well as how autistic and non-autistic researchers and their priorities ultimately impact the results of research in this area. Read the paper here!

I discuss here how our current educational standards for school counseling often exclude the needs of those with disabilities due to the lack of special education training and limited financial resources. Subsequently, I argue that implementing counselors specifically for students with disabilities can help provide the individualized resources needed while addressing related issues that typical school counselors face. Read the paper here!

This paper intersects the fields of social learning with language development in order to investigate the differences in how autistic infants process their social world and how that affects the ways they obtain language. I then discuss how this knowledge can be used therapeutically to give the best resources for autistic people as well as break down the stigmas of speech delays that are often associated with autism. You can read the paper here!

In this paper, I aim to discuss many of the struggles that young autistic adults often face as neurodivergent individuals – barriers to diagnosis, resources based in “curing” autism, and societal stigma. From this perspective, I use this to ask questions regarding how this affects the agency of autistic people and how that influences their well-being, mental health, and hope for their future. You can read this paper here!

This short overview discusses some of the research regarding cognitive differences and struggles in social processing that autistic individuals tend to face. Additionally, I talk through how this research ties into how autistic individuals might conceptualize their relationships due to their own experiences and what this means for their friendships and romantic connections. Read the paper here!