Replying to Uta Frith's views, one by one.
With thanks to all the members of the autistic community who've informed me & inspired me to write this thread.
For those lucky not to know about her article in The Times, and various other related statements, links at the end.
CW: it's upsetting 😟
A thread 🧵
#UtaFrith #Research #Autism #Autistic #ActuallyAutistic #Neurodivergent
Her view: Autism in women has gone too far.
Reply: Interesting. Has freedom in women gone too far, too?
_________
Her view: We must categorise autism into smaller subgroups.
Reply: Interesting also - a bit like how Hans Asperger did in Nazi Germany? I think, in this case, the purpose is to exclude a lot of people from the category "autism" and to divide the autistic community.
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Her view: We can't have this many autistic people because it’ll overload the system.
Reply: This makes it plain that it's the people who serve the system, and not the other way around. Maybe society should be structured so that all people's needs are met, instead?
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It almost seems she's been rolled out as part of the Old Guard, to try to turn the tide.
It saddens me that this article, and campaign in general, will do a lot of harm to many autistic people, in making sure they aren't taken seriously and won't get the support they need.
An excellent commentary from the author of Embrace Autism: https://resiliencymentalhealth.com/2026/03/10/the-autism-spectrum/
(Thanks to @adelinej for sharing this with me)
Links below.
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The Times article: https://www.tes.com/magazine/teaching-learning/general/uta-frith-interview-autism-not-spectrum
Her podcast with Naomi Fisher: https://substack.com/@naomicfisher/note/p-189989936?r=ql236
Wasn't it awful?! 😟
I read it and I actually feel this. I was in special ed… its tough not having a label anymore where most of the other people are dealing with more similar barriers… people are increasingly…. Not similar circumstance to myself… and that is unhelpful for me…
Unhelpful for advocacy. Unhelpful for strategies. Unhelpful because of increased social expectations.
Im fine with having an entirely different label.
But I don’t really wanna share with those who are so much more capable than me… im comfy being separated from both the main buckets so I can find more similar people….
Its hard to set reasonable expectations…
I do see what you're saying. Yes. And that must be hard actually. I was disadvantaged at school, but not like that.
Hm I guess, regarding this, I think it may be time to support people with what they need in the ways that they need it? That is, the support should centre around their needs, and not round their diagnosis.
I think her commentary is designed to be divisive... which is exactly what it's doing 😢
PS and just to say good on you for saying this... I realise that might have taken some courage in the context. 💟
Ok here is a concrete example of personal trouble.
I call places… trying to get help for autism. The services don’t serve my age group, my functioning level (either they want high or low functioning not between and spikey profile), or my government (medicaid) insurance.
If I call some place seeking help for ADHD, the same doesn’t happen.
So like how functional can a label really be if when you call for help for it… To help literally isn’t even there. And also the government probably can’t even measure that the help for you isn’t there because it’s all got the same label.
It was easy by comparison to get help for the ADHD part. Oh I just need to get diagnosed with a Neuro psychiatrist with multiple eight hour long appointments and it’s really hard to get? So much easier than trying to get the actual intense help that I’m looking for for autism for an adult…
I got the autism label when I wasn’t looking for it at the neuropsych btw… which means I am not someone who decided they were autistic before someone else… then I told people… they were shocked I wasn’t diagnosed…. 😬 Im really obviously according to even people I hardly know.
It's a good point 🤷♀️
The label doesn't really function anyway!
My feeling is the world is set up wrong.
I have felt this too! Which is a really common feeling with all of us. XD
I like symptom labels and this is what I have tried and this is what I haven’t.
Which is anyway much more useful information in health and mental health support settings 🤷♀️
I agree. I think the frustration is being born out of people needing help and not getting it. And I have been waiting for help for a long time after graduating from special ed and not getting autistic specific help.
can’t even really be independent. If my partner left me I would pretty much starve.
Shit yes.
It's the kind of denial of existence of autistic adults, isn't it... Which is what the whole 'treatment and cures' paradigm actively supports.
All that billion dollar research @panda talks about in their blog.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could see a little bit of that billions of dollars?
Yes 😢
It troubles me that so often they wheel out women to support the dominant paradigm, and essentially very patriarchal views & interests.
I think it's not a coincidence. It's just too convenient. I think they're being played. I never really want to attack the individual, just the views.
@KatyElphinstone I'm a little late to reply but just wanted to say thank you for your thread. The interview is quite puzzling and frustrating. What is she trying to accomplish with this? Other than getting herself back into the spotlight. :/
And she doesn't really talk about systemic issues. Just mentions the long waiting lists as if they're normal and expected?
Interestingly, I saw that there's even some pushback from Tony Attwood:
https://www.attwoodandgarnettevents.com/blogs/news/prof-uta-frith-s-interview-what-do-we-think
Prof Uta Frith was interviewed on Wednesday, 4th March (here is the link if you missed it: https://www.tes.com/magazine/teaching-learning/general/uta-frith-interview-autism-not-spectrum) about her current views on the international definitions of autism, including the idea of autism being a spectrum disorder. Who is Pr
Yes, I saw this as well.
The more I mull over it the more I feel that it's all about this right wing movement to basically save public money.
It's very convenient to say our systems are overloaded, and then blame the people who've been told they must use those systems in order to get their basic needs met.
I realised that when I went on the same podcast (my episode should come out soon). Esp. adult autistic people are treated as though they are v selfish for seeking diagnosis- that it's their fault the waiting lists are long, & that people don't get support needs met.
It's pitting vulnerable groups against each other. Again.
And who wins? Cui bono?
The wealthy of course. The same lot who win by pitting men against women, and pitting citizens against new immigrants etc etc etc.
I did point out that autistic people didn't come and ask for diagnosis; it was a requirement imposed on us as a condition to being believed about our experience.
I'm sending this to those I thought might be interested, you among them, I hope that's alright!
I've just been guest on the podcast that hosted Uta Frith.
Here's my podcast episode:
On substack (but I think anyone can listen to it):
https://neurosense.substack.com/p/why-we-need-to-reframe-autism-with
On Apple podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/lets-talk-neurosense-the-psychology-of-neurodiversity/id1883007944
On Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/19fSshl0XkXqiKPCp3uyzO?si=gDBCV9koQHKqvEMHqrZJnw&t=2249
Pass it on if you like it.
Comments can be made on the Substack version, & very welcome! ☺️
In the fourth episode of Let’s Talk Neurosense, we talked to Katy Elphinstone, autistic advocate, researcher and author of How to Raise Happy Neurofabulous Children: A Parent’s Guide.
@KatyElphinstone THIS. 🔥🔥🔥
Thank you
@KatyElphinstone If the population changes then the systems built to serve it must change too.
You don't change people to suit systems, you change systems to serve people. Always. Unconditionally.
How are so many people just absolutely wrong?
Exactly 💯
Thank you for making me laugh 😂
Right? Sorry as I know it's quite upsetting 😢
Ditto. I would actually not recommend listening to the podcast. It's just awful.
Hm I think I should add to the beginning of the thread that is quite upsetting... A CW.
I probably should have done that to start with! Sorry about that 😟
@CuriousMagpie @KatyElphinstone Just happened to me. I couldn’t be bothered to read Uta Frith’s article but just saw this.
Disgusted. This world is really upside down.
(For a rather different understanding see my page <https://gizmonaut.net/autism-documents/>)
Omg 😰
Interesting as I contacted one of the major funding organisations for autism research, to try to get funding for my own study.
🤣🤣🤣
(If I didn't laugh I would cry)
I really just thought, why not, since they're based at Edinburgh University which is where I'm doing my PhD.
I had just seen in the papers that they had received another 87 million on top of the 145 million pounds they already receive annually.
They answered saying they didn't think my research was relevant.
On their site, it say they fund the search for 'treatments' and 'biomarkers'.
I refrained from answering them 'good luck w that one' - but I did write a reply email saying I thought they were barking up the wrong tree (to paraphrase). For my file. They never answered.
Ah thanks. I don't really need it, so it's alright, I'm used to not being paid for a lot of my work, having been a parent for 17 years 😊
I just about get by and I'm lucky with my situation. I feel really privileged to be able to do things I'm passionate about.
I've just had a look at the link you sent and also at your own page.
It makes me feel a bit sick to read about this stuff, for some reason. But I want to know.
Just to say I think your work is incredible. Very important indeed. And it must be difficult to do it - not just from the intellectual standpoint, but emotionally too.
@KatyElphinstone what's her argument for "We must categorise autism into smaller subgroups."? Why is it necessary, what would we gain?
I do agree that within the spectrum there are obvious differences that might be used for forming groups, for example to address the different needs for support adequately. Maybe there's even different causes, that might be treated differently, but the science is still not far enough for that to be a valid reason
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