Creating truly radical change in autism research: A response to Frith and Mottron

Citation

Pearson A, Woods R, Morgan H & Botha M (2021) Creating truly radical change in autism research: A response to Frith and Mottron. Autism Research, 14 (10), pp. 2243-2244. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2605

Abstract
First paragraph: Frith (2021) and Mottron (2021) recently called for a backward shift in autism research toward identifying cognitive deficit and “prototypes,” to remedy more heterogeneous diagnostic criteria. Frith argues that our current conceptualizations of autism have shifted too far away from the idea of “disorder.” Likewise, Mottron argues that autism has been “trivialized,” diluted by the inclusion of the merely quirky. While there is much to critique in the suggestion that research into the mechanisms of autism should be prioritized over the identification (and associated support) of autistic people, here we focus on two key points: autism as a discrete variable, and cognitive deficits as a core feature of autism.

Journal
Autism Research: Volume 14, Issue 10

People

Dr Monique Botha

Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Psychology