The history of autism and its future.

A transcript is available online at HearMeNowStories.org

Today we’re tapping the storytelling skills of veteran science and tech reporter, Steve Silberman.

In 2015, Silberman’s book NeuroTribes: The legacy of autism and the future of neurodiversity was published and soon took a place on The New York Times bestseller list. And in Britain, it was awarded the Samuel Johnson prize for best nonfiction writing in English.

The work was groundbreaking: exploring both the legacy of autism, but also the future of neurodiversity.  It brought clarity where there had often been confusion and it began to explore new avenues and answer questions that have lead to even more fascinating questions.

Steve Silberman is Seán's guest on today's program.


TELL US YOUR STORY AT HEARMENOWSTORIES.ORG

With this podcast episode, we’re inaugurating a project to collect oral histories of autism — stories from autistic people and people who work alongside them, or care for them, or love them.

Let us know if you’re interested in being part of that project and would like to tell us your story.

Steve Silverman's website www.stevesilberman.com includes an extensive list of resources for parents, clinicians, and autistic people (many written by autistic people.) 

NeuroTribes: The legacy of autism and the future of neurodiversity by Steve Silberman

The forgotten history of autism (TED) 

The Institute for the Study of the Neurologically Typical (ISNT)

Autistic Self-Advocacy Network 

Asperger/Autism Network

Don't Mourn for Us by Jim Sinclair (Our Voice, 1993)

An Anthropologist on Mars by Oliver Sacks (The New Yorker, Dec 27, 1993)