Who Are the Autism Experts?

by Dora Raymaker · 2009-04-09 16:00:00 UTC
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a white woman with short dark hair reads a book titled 'how to be an expert in ten easy lessonsUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham has put together a panel of Experts Available To Discuss Autism Awareness Month. These experts include 1) a psychology professor interested in blood flow in autistic brains during different types of tasks, 2) a psychology professor to discuss early warning signs and behavioral interventions for children, 3) an education professor to discuss education for children on the spectrum.

Involving academics in the dialogue about autism isn't a bad thing at all. The academic perspective is necessary for keeping dialogues active, for looking at old stuff in new ways, and for keeping checks-and-balances with popularized, non-academic (sometimes faulty, sometimes not) ideas.

But when I think of a "panel of experts" I typically think of something a bit more diverse. Perhaps including someone from outside academia, service workers? Family members? Perhaps more people from within academia to address a more diverse range of issues (e.g. disability studies, sociology, or ethics) or the larger autistic population (i.e. beyond childhood)? Perhaps autistic people themselves as experts?

Who do you think is missing on that panel of experts? Who would you want included on a "panel of autism experts?"

Dora Raymaker
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