Research & References
Every study, paper, and source cited across my longform videos, in one searchable place. Find a reference, see which video used it, or start from a topic and follow the evidence.
✅ References current as of 26 October 2026 · 506 sources across 155 videos
506 references across 155 videos
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Hull et al. (2019). Development and validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q).
The study that created and validated the CAT-Q, a questionnaire measuring how much a person camouflages or masks autistic traits.
2019 Source ↗ -
Murray, D., Lesser, M., & Lawson, W. (2005). Attention, monotropism and the diagnostic criteria for autism. Autism, 9(2), 139-156.
Influential 2005 paper proposing monotropism, the theory that autistic attention concentrates intensely on fewer interests at a time.
2005 Source ↗ -
Raymaker et al. (2020). Defining autistic burnout. Autism in Adulthood.
The influential Raymaker study that formally defined autistic burnout from autistic adults' own accounts of chronic exhaustion and loss of skills.
2020 Source ↗ -
Sasson et al. (2017). "Neurotypical Peers are Less Willing to Interact with Those with Autism based on Thin Slice Judgments". Scientific Reports.
Study finding that non-autistic people are less willing to interact with autistic people based on judgments formed in just seconds.
2017 -
Milton, D. (2012). On the ontological status of autism: the 'double empathy problem'. Disability & Society, 27(6).
Milton's original peer-reviewed article in Disability & Society introducing the 'double empathy problem' of mutual misunderstanding between autistic and non-autistic people.
2012 DOI ↗ -
Fyfe et al. (2026). Male-to-female autism diagnostic ratio narrows with age. BMJ
BMJ study reporting that the gap between male and female autism diagnosis rates shrinks as people get older.
2026 -
Litman et al. (2025). Nature Genetics.
Nature Genetics study identifying four distinct genetic subtypes of autism.
2025 DOI ↗ -
CDC ADDM Network surveillance data (2022): autism and intellectual disability co-occurrence.
CDC surveillance data from the ADDM Network on how often intellectual disability co-occurs with autism among children in the US.
2022 Source ↗ -
The Lancet Commission (2021). The future of care and clinical research in autism.
The 2022 Lancet Commission report by international experts on improving autism care and research, which proposed the term 'profound autism'.
2021 Source ↗ -
TES (4 March 2026). "Uta Frith: why I no longer think autism is a spectrum".
TES magazine interview (March 2026) in which autism researcher Uta Frith argues that autism should no longer be understood as a spectrum.
2026 Source ↗ -
O'Nions et al. (2025), British Journal of Psychiatry
Study estimating life expectancy among adults who have a formal ADHD diagnosis.
2025 DOI ↗ -
O'Nions et al. (2023). Life expectancy and years of life lost for adults with diagnosed autism.
A peer-reviewed study estimating life expectancy and years of life lost in autistic people; the video urges viewers not to panic over it.
2023 Source ↗ -
O’Nions, E., Petersen, I., Buckman, J. E. J., Charlton, R., et al. (2023). Autism in England: assessing underdiagnosis in a population-based cohort study of prospectively collected primary care data. The Lancet Regional Health Europe.
2023 Lancet Regional Health Europe population study assessing how many autistic people in England remain undiagnosed, the first of its kind.
2023 DOI ↗ -
Doherty et al. (2022). Barriers to healthcare and self-reported adverse outcomes for autistic adults. BMJ Open, 12(2).
A 2022 BMJ Open study finding autistic adults report far more barriers to accessing healthcare, and more adverse health outcomes, than non-autistic adults.
2022 Source ↗ -
Kazda et al. (2021), JAMA Network Open
Systematic review examining the evidence for and against claims that ADHD is overdiagnosed.
2021 DOI ↗ -
University of Edinburgh. (2020). Autistic peer-to-peer information transfer is highly effective. [Research Study]
University of Edinburgh research finding that autistic people pass information to each other highly effectively, challenging deficit-based views of autistic communication.
2020 -
Warrier, V. et al. (2020). Elevated rates of autism and autistic traits in transgender and gender-diverse individuals. Nature Communications, 11, 3959.
Large 2020 study in Nature Communications finding autism and autistic traits are notably more common among transgender and gender-diverse people.
2020 Source ↗ -
Lai et al. (2019). Neural patterns of camouflaging in autistic women
Brain-imaging study examining the patterns of neural activity associated with camouflaging autistic traits in autistic women.
2019 -
Gernsbacher & Yergeau (2019). Empirical Failures of the Claim That Autistic People Lack a Theory of Mind. Archives of Scientific Psychology.
Peer-reviewed article documenting how studies claiming autistic people cannot understand others' minds have repeatedly failed to hold up empirically.
2019 Source ↗ -
Cassidy et al. (2018). Camouflaging and suicidality in autistic adults.
Study of suicide risk in autistic adults that examined camouflaging autistic traits as a possible risk factor.
2018 -
Bargiela, S., Steward, R., & Mandy, W. (2016). Late-diagnosed women with ASC: The female autism phenotype. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(10), 3281–3294.
Interview study of women diagnosed autistic later in life, exploring how autism presents in women and girls.
2016 -
Brown-Lavoie, Viecili & Weiss (2014). Sexual knowledge and victimization in adults with autism spectrum disorders. JADD, 44(9), 2185-2196.
Peer-reviewed study examining sexual knowledge and rates of sexual victimisation among autistic adults compared with non-autistic peers.
2014 DOI ↗ -
National Autistic Society. Response to Richard Tice.
Official statement from the National Autistic Society responding to comments about autism made by MP Richard Tice.
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World Health Organization. ICD-11.
The World Health Organization's international diagnostic manual, which contains the official criteria used worldwide to diagnose autism.
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"The lived experience of meltdowns for autistic adults".
Peer-reviewed qualitative study exploring how autistic adults themselves describe and experience meltdowns.
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Cross K, Knott F, James A (2026). Invisible needs and uneven recognition: a national FOI study of autism support across diagnostic stages in UK universities. Autism.
Freedom of Information study of UK universities: most offered adjustments to students awaiting autism assessment, but only three of 125 had a written policy.
2026 DOI ↗ -
Bargigli et al. (2026). Evidence of Physiological Comodulation During Human–Animal Interaction: A Systematic Review. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1560(1), e70299.
Systematic review of 37 studies of linked physiological changes in people and animals; results were mixed and only one measured brain coupling.
2026 DOI ↗ -
Bournemouth University / Moseley, R. (February 2026). Faster diagnosis reduces suicide risk.
Bournemouth University research led by Dr Rachel Moseley reporting that faster autism diagnosis reduces suicide risk.
2026 -
Ali, Mandy & Happé (2026). Autism.
Study in the journal Autism comparing autistic burnout in adults diagnosed early versus late in life.
2026 -
Greig, Coundouris & Henry (2026). Autism.
Meta-analysis in Autism pooling 50 camouflaging studies with 16,895 participants.
2026 -
Channel 4 letter to ADHD UK, 10 August 2026
The broadcaster’s written response to the charity ADHD UK about its documentary “The Great ADHD Myth”.
2026 Source ↗ -
Daily Express (18 February 2026). Report of Robert Jenrick's speech on disability benefits.
Report of Reform UK's Robert Jenrick saying ADHD disability claims had more than doubled since Covid and that many were 'spurious'.
2026 -
Pring J (15 October 2026). Report on disabled people's organisations' responses to the Fonagy review. Disability News Service.
Report on reactions from user-led groups, including Recovery in the Bin and the National Survivor User Network, to the review.
2026 -
Fonagy independent review: interim report, Department of Health and Social Care, March 2026
Interim report of an independent review commissioned by the UK health department, chaired by Professor Peter Fonagy.
2026 Source ↗ -
Guardian correction, 25 August 2026; Ofcom complaint figures to 31 August 2026
A newspaper correction, plus the broadcasting regulator’s tally of 10,217 complaints about the programme.
2026 Source ↗ -
Health and Disability Benefits Reform Bill [HL], introduced 15 June 2026
UK draft legislation on health and disability benefits, introduced in the House of Lords on 15 June 2026.
2026 Source ↗ -
Department of Health and Social Care (9 October 2026). Independent review into prevalence and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and autism: final report. Chair: Professor Peter Fonagy.
The 599-page government review of rising ADHD, autism and mental health diagnoses in England; it could not conclude overdiagnosis is happening at scale.
2026 Source ↗ -
Salkić et al. (2026). The proportion of intellectual disability in autism spectrum disorder over two decades. Psychiatry Research.
Swedish register study tracking how the share of autistic people who also have an intellectual disability fell sharply between 2001 and 2020.
2026 DOI ↗ -
JAMA Pediatrics (2026). "Mortality Among Youth and Young Adults With ASD, ID, or Cerebral Palsy"
JAMA Pediatrics study examining death rates among young people with autism, intellectual disability, or cerebral palsy.
2026 -
Johnson, Schenke, Foster & Stephens-Lewis (2026). A Systematic Review of the Characterization of Behavior in Canine Behavioral Questionnaires. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science.
Review of 37 dog behaviour questionnaires from 38 studies, finding many mix observable behaviour with interpretations of temperament or emotion.
2026 DOI ↗ -
Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere (Netflix, 2026).
Netflix documentary investigating online mens communities, cited as background on manosphere culture and its language.
2026 -
Eccles, Phillips & Thapar (2026). “Misleading and misinformed”. BMJ
Article in the BMJ responding to media coverage of ADHD; its title calls that coverage misleading and misinformed.
2026 DOI ↗ -
Parliament News (9 October 2026). Report of the press briefing on the independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism.
Report of the journalists' briefing, quoting vice-chair Simon Wessely's remarks about a 'tipping point', a phrase the report itself never uses.
2026 -
Rubia, K. Statement via the Science Media Centre, 19 August 2026
Expert reaction from ADHD neuroscientist Professor Katya Rubia, issued through the Science Media Centre press office.
2026 Source ↗ -
Colivicchi A (15 October 2026). Report on plans for the Care Quality Commission to regulate ADHD and autism assessments. Pulse.
GP trade press report that the government asked the Care Quality Commission to regulate all ADHD and autism diagnostic assessments.
2026 -
Pulse (18 September 2026). Reader survey of 829 GPs on whether adult ADHD is overdiagnosed.
Self-selecting, unweighted poll of Pulse's GP readers in which about seven in ten said adult ADHD is overdiagnosed; not a scientific survey.
2026 -
Royal College of Psychiatrists statement, 19 August 2026; Royal College of General Practitioners statement, 31 July 2026
Position statements from the UK professional bodies representing psychiatrists and family doctors.
2026 Source ↗ -
Conti et al. (2026), Nature Medicine
Trial testing an ADHD treatment device against a sham (placebo) device, from Katya Rubia’s research group.
2026 DOI ↗ -
Smithsonian Magazine (11 May 2026). "This High Schooler Developed an A.I. Tool to Diagnose Autism and ADHD Using the Retina".
Magazine profile of a student built retinal AI tool, and the original source of the widely repeated 89% accuracy figure.
2026 -
The Guardian (October 2026). Report on DWP plans to remove the Universal Credit health element for under-25s and replace PIP.
Report that the DWP was considering removing the Universal Credit health element for under-25s and replacing PIP altogether.
2026 -
The i Paper (1 October 2026). Report that publication of the review was delayed over fears of a benefits backlash.
Report, citing unnamed sources, that publication of the review had been delayed over fears of a backlash about benefits.
2026 -
The Midlife Mentors podcast, 28 February 2026
Episode of a health and wellbeing podcast, cited as a record of what a contributor said publicly.
2026 Source ↗ -
Roisenberg et al. (2026). Autism Research.
A camouflaging study in Autism Research reporting a null result, cited in the video for balance.
2026 -
The Observer (9 October 2026). Report quoting Bridget Phillipson and Yvette Cooper on diagnosis and assessment clinics.
Report quoting ministers that diagnosis 'should not be the only means' of support, and that clinics' advertising would be raised with the advertising regulator.
2026 -
Frith (2026). Psychological Medicine, 56, e240.
Uta Frith's Psychological Medicine paper arguing the broadened autism spectrum has become unworkable; the paper this video responds to.
2026 -
The Times (6 October 2026). Report that Alan Milburn's review of young people out of work was pushed back until after the budget.
Report that the government's review of young people out of work, led by Alan Milburn, had been pushed back until after the budget.
2026 -
Science Media Centre (1 April 2026). Expert reaction to new autism research.
Round up of comments from independent scientists responding to a newly published autism paper.
2026 -
Pang et al. (2026). Communications Biology.
Communications Biology study reporting three autism subtypes based on molecular profiles.
2026 -
Pagani et al. (2026). Nature Neuroscience.
Nature Neuroscience study reporting two autism subtypes based on brain connectivity.
2026 -
Uta Frith in New Scientist, "Why autism pioneer Uta Frith wants to dismantle the spectrum" (May 2026)
New Scientist magazine interview in which pioneering autism researcher Uta Frith argues the single 'spectrum' concept should be broken apart.
2026 -
Vaccarezza et al. (2026). Ketogenic diet therapies for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy: a systematic review. PLOS ONE, e0333334.
Systematic review of ketogenic diets for epilepsy that does not respond to medication, rating the supporting evidence as moderate certainty.
2026 DOI ↗ -
ADHD UK (17 September 2026). Response to the independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism.
The charity's response to pre-publication reports of the review, warning against rationing, issued before it had seen the report.
2026 Source ↗ -
Donnelly L (9 October 2026). ADHD surge fuelled by benefits, report warns. The Telegraph, via AOL syndication.
Publication-day news story leading on a link between benefits and the rise in ADHD and autism diagnoses.
2026 Source ↗ -
The Telegraph (9 October 2026). The wrong diagnosis for youth unemployment. Editorial, via AOL syndication.
The Telegraph's editorial on the review, treating rising diagnoses as part of the debate about youth unemployment and benefits.
2026 Source ↗ -
BBC News (21 September 2026). Young people are not snowflakes, head of mental health review says.
Interview with the review's chair before publication, rejecting the 'snowflake generation' label and describing the pressures on today's young people.
2026 Source ↗ -
BBC News (9 October 2026). ADHD and autism at risk of over-diagnosis, says government review.
The BBC's publication-day report, framing overdiagnosis as a risk and noting the panel's warning about weaknesses in the data.
2026 Source ↗ -
Benefits and Work (12 October 2026). Fonagy deals severe blow to Timms and Milburn.
Claimants' website arguing the review undercuts any benefit cuts based on the claim that ADHD, autism, anxiety and depression are widely overdiagnosed.
2026 Source ↗ -
Channel 4 News (October 2026). The reality behind Britain's growing youth mental health crisis.
Coverage leading on the real rise in young people's distress, including Fonagy's view that adults created the pressures young people face.
2026 Source ↗ -
Health and Social Care Committee and Education Committee (14 October 2026). Oral evidence: Children and young people's mental health, HC 239. Witnesses: Professor Peter Fonagy and Professor Gillian Baird.
Transcript of MPs questioning Fonagy and Baird, who said they found no evidence of overdiagnosis at scale and warned needs-led support must be funded.
2026 Source ↗ -
Contact (October 2026). Review finds no evidence of overdiagnosis and calls for earlier support for children and young people.
Response from the families' charity summarising the review as finding no evidence of overdiagnosis; the review's own wording is 'cannot conclude'.
2026 Source ↗ -
Daily Mail (9 October 2026). Rush to diagnose ADHD and autism can damage children. Republished by The Daily Sceptic, 10 October 2026.
Publication-day story stressing harm from wrong labels; it quoted Helen Whately and attached a £244,000 figure the review uses for something else.
2026 Source ↗ -
Epigram (March 2026). "My autism should not be why you want to date me".
First-person piece in student newspaper Epigram by an autistic writer arguing her autism should not be someone's reason for dating her.
2026 Source ↗ -
Financial Times (21 September 2026). Private ADHD clinics are misdiagnosing children, report will say.
Pre-publication report that the review would criticise private ADHD clinics for misdiagnosing children.
2026 Source ↗ -
Partridge O (9 October 2026). Benefits perks help fuel surge in ADHD and autism diagnoses, new report warns. GB News.
Publication-day story framing diagnosis as a gateway to benefits; it gave the 599-page report as 607 pages.
2026 Source ↗ -
Department of Health and Social Care (9 October 2026). Government pledges earlier support to tackle mental health crises. Press release.
The government's response on publication day, saying ADHD and autism prevalence 'appears broadly stable' and committing to regulate assessment providers.
2026 Source ↗ -
Department for Education (February 2026). Every child achieving and thriving. Schools white paper (CP 1508).
The government's schools and SEND white paper, which uses 'needs-led' language and projects the share of pupils with EHCPs falling.
2026 Source ↗ -
Department for Work and Pensions (2 October 2026). Expert Academic Panel on Neurodiversity: final report and recommendations.
Government-commissioned panel on neurodivergent people at work, saying a diagnosis isn't essential for adjustments and proposing a two-week employer response deadline.
2026 Source ↗ -
Department for Work and Pensions (15 September 2026). Health Assessment Channels Trial: 2022 to 2023.
DWP trial comparing face-to-face, phone and video PIP and work capability assessments; remote assessments did not produce substantially different awards.
2026 Source ↗ -
Department for Work and Pensions (9 July 2026). Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment: interim report.
Interim report of the review of PIP led by Sir Stephen Timms, which concluded that the benefit is no longer fit for purpose.
2026 Source ↗ -
Department for Work and Pensions (14 May 2026). Fraud and error in the benefit system, financial year ending 2026 estimates.
Official estimates of benefit fraud and error; for PIP, fraud was about £1.40 in every £100, up from about 40p the year before.
2026 Source ↗ -
Department for Work and Pensions (15 September 2026). Personal Independence Payment statistics to July 2026.
Official PIP caseload figures; since 2019, awards with autism as the main condition have more than tripled and ADHD awards more than quadrupled.
2026 Source ↗ -
Department for Work and Pensions (15 September 2026). Universal Credit Health statistics, April 2019 to June 2026.
Official figures on Universal Credit health claims; about two-thirds of the recent rise was people moved across from the old ESA benefit.
2026 Source ↗ -
Hansard, House of Commons (13 October 2026). Youth Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Support. Westminster Hall debate.
Debate in which an MP condemned calling struggling young people 'snowflakes' and the minister promised a mental health strategy before Christmas.
2026 Source ↗ -
The i Paper (14 September 2026). Claims of mass ADHD overdiagnosis set to be rejected by experts in major report.
Pre-publication report that the review would reject claims of mass ADHD overdiagnosis, worded more strongly than the final text turned out to be.
2026 Source ↗ -
ITV News (8 October 2026). ADHD and autism could be at risk of overdiagnosis - so what needs to change?
Report with Fonagy saying support should not sit 'behind the door of a diagnosis' and that overdiagnosis was not found at scale.
2026 Source ↗ -
Science Media Centre (October 2026). Briefing: independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism, final report and recommendations.
Listing for the press briefing where the review's chair and vice-chairs presented the final report to journalists ahead of publication.
2026 Source ↗ -
Hardman I (10 October 2026). On mental health treatment, the middle ground is right. The Spectator.
Column calling the review a nuanced attempt at a middle ground between treating people who struggle as fakers and returning to old stigma.
2026 Source ↗ -
The Independent (9 October 2026). Not everyone with ADHD and autism traits needs a diagnosis, major review finds.
Publication-day report quoting researchers who warned that diagnosis and support could be rationed for people who are less visibly disabled.
2026 Source ↗ -
The Guardian (11 October 2026). The Guardian view on mental health: overdiagnosis is not the problem facing young people. Editorial.
The Guardian's editorial, leaning on the review's finding that overdiagnosis cannot be concluded and arguing young people's distress is the real issue.
2026 Source ↗ -
The Tab (April 2026). "Love on the Spectrum has 'no plans' to start paying the cast".
News article from The Tab reporting that Love on the Spectrum has no plans to pay its cast, citing a loophole that allows this.
2026 Source ↗ -
The Times (9 October 2026). ADHD label 'risks lifelong harm to children' as diagnoses surge.
Publication-day story on the risks of diagnosis; its standfirst used the phrase 'tipping point', which does not appear in the review.
2026 Source ↗ -
The Times (17 September 2026). ADHD symptoms should not lead to automatic diagnosis, government review to say.
Pre-publication report that the review would say ADHD symptoms should not automatically lead to a diagnosis, which campaigners called rationing.
2026 Source ↗ -
de Vries W and others (2025). Exploring concept creep: youth's portrayal of ADHD on TikTok. SSM - Mental Health, 8, 100489.
Analysis of 100 popular ADHD TikTok videos, finding that 55% of the traits presented did not match diagnostic criteria.
2025 DOI ↗ -
"Gender on the Spectrum: Prevalence of Gender Diversity in Autism Spectrum Disorder—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis" (2025).
A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis estimating how common gender diversity is among autistic people across published studies.
2025 DOI ↗ -
Morris (2025). Beyond self-regulation: autistic experiences and perceptions of stimming.
A 2025 peer-reviewed study of autistic people's own views on stimming, suggesting it means more than just self-regulation.
2025 DOI ↗ -
Clinical Psychology Review (2025). Review of 48 studies on autistic burnout.
Review pooling 48 separate studies of autistic burnout to see what the combined evidence shows.
2025 -
AARP (2025). Loneliness in adults 45+, national survey.
National AARP survey measuring loneliness among adults aged 45 and older.
2025 -
Ostinelli et al. (2025), Lancet Psychiatry
Review pooling 113 clinical trials of ADHD treatments in adults, comparing how well the options work.
2025 DOI ↗ -
Zhang, Warrier et al. (2025).
Genetics study by Zhang, Warrier and colleagues linking age at autism diagnosis to different genetic profiles.
2025 -
Al Jazeera (21 October 2025). Fact-check of the claim that circumcision causes autism.
News fact-check assessing the circumcision claim, one of several outlets that examined it at the time.
2025 -
BMJ (24 September 2025). Fact-check of political claims about the causes of autism.
Medical journal news piece testing widely repeated political claims about autism against the evidence.
2025 -
Boyd (2025). Autistic dogs? Neurodiversity in our pets and what it might mean for us. The Conversation, 17 November 2025.
An animal scientist's article asking whether pets show neurodiversity; it notes the research uses laboratory animals and cautions against applying human diagnoses to pets.
2025 Source ↗ -
Choi H et al. (2025), npj Digital Medicine 8:164. ADHD vs autism only AUROC 0.630, authors' words "low performance".
Study behind a digital autism screening tool that struggled to tell ADHD from autism, a result its own authors called low performance.
2025 -
Bayoumi et al. (2025). Food selectivity in autistic adults: sameness and sensory sensitivity. Autism, 29(6), 1560-1573.
Peer-reviewed 2025 study of 961 people in the journal Autism, cited in a discussion of autistic 'safe foods' and eating experiences.
2025 -
Glaze (2025). Dogs might be neurodivergent and scientists say the evidence is hard to ignore. Dexerto, 20 November 2025.
Entertainment news article on 'neurodivergent' dogs, drawing on Daily Mail coverage of the gene-edited beagle brain-coupling research.
2025 Source ↗ -
Hand et al. (2025). "Citation Context Analysis of Autism Mortality and Suicide Findings From Hirvikoski's Landmark Study". JAMA Network Open
JAMA Network Open analysis of how later papers have cited a landmark study's findings on autism mortality and suicide.
2025 -
Li et al. (2025). Reduced attention to human eyes in autism-associated Shank3 mutant laboratory beagle dogs. Molecular Psychiatry, 30, 3765-3773.
Eye-tracking study of five gene-edited and five unmodified beagles; the edited dogs looked less at human eyes, and intranasal oxytocin increased this.
2025 DOI ↗ -
Little Rays ABA (2025). Key Autism in Dogs Symptoms That Every Owner Should Know. Blog post, 19 June 2025.
ABA provider's blog post on 'autism in dogs' that notes dogs can't be officially diagnosed, then invites readers to an ABA consultation for their child.
2025 Source ↗ -
House of Lords Library briefing LLN-2025-0027; DWP Advice for Decision Making Memo 04/26, April 2026
Parliamentary briefing on the 2025 Personal Independence Payment vote, plus DWP guidance to Universal Credit decision-makers.
2025 Source ↗ -
National Autistic Society (April 2025). Statement on SEND and disability support in the UK.
Charity statement setting out its position on special educational needs and disability support in the UK.
2025 -
Nature Communications (2025). News framing of aloneness as harmful. PMC11821820.
Nature Communications research on how news coverage frames being alone as harmful.
2025 -
NPR (16 April 2025). "RFK Jr. Seeks ‘Environmental’ Cause of Autism. Scientists Say It’s Not That Simple".
News report on the US health secretary’s search for environmental causes of autism, and how scientists responded.
2025 -
O’Sullivan (2025). The Age of Diagnosis.
Suzanne O’Sullivan’s 2025 book The Age of Diagnosis, arguing modern medicine over-extends diagnostic labels.
2025 -
Patel, M. V., Parker, W., et al. (August 2025). Evidence that acetaminophen triggers autism in susceptible individuals. Preprints.org.
Preprint arguing paracetamol causes autism. It is not peer reviewed, and is listed because the claim was widely repeated.
2025 -
PBS NewsHour (10 October 2025). Report on why the evidence for the circumcision claim is insufficient.
Broadcast news analysis explaining why researchers regard the evidence behind this claim as inadequate.
2025 -
PolitiFact (2025). "Kennedy Under Fire for Saying 25% of Autistic Kids Are ‘Severe’—Experts Disagree".
Fact-check of the claim that a quarter of autistic children are severely affected, including specialists’ objections.
2025 -
ProProfs (2025). Dog Autism Test: Is My Dog Autistic? Online quiz, updated 15 June 2025.
Online quiz asking owners about their dog's reactions to noise, new people and interests; the page itself says it is not a medical diagnosis.
2025 Source ↗ -
Reuters (21 April 2025). "U.S. HHS Says Not Creating Autism Registry, Launching Data Platform Instead".
News report on US health department plans for an autism data platform, after reports of a national registry.
2025 -
Scientific American (9 October 2025). Report on the studies cited in support of autism causation claims.
News analysis examining the quality of the research being used to support claims about what causes autism.
2025 -
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. (2025, January 30). Nomination Hearing - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of HHS.
Official record of the January 2025 Senate hearing on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
2025 -
STAT News (10 October 2025). "No, circumcision doesn’t cause autism".
Health news article setting out why the circumcision claim is not supported by the available evidence.
2025 -
Zhang et al. (2025), BMJ
Population study drawing on Swedish national health registry records covering 148,581 people.
2025 DOI ↗ -
The Guardian (2025) – Mental health TikTok investigation (52% misinformation)
Guardian investigation finding that 52% of mental-health content examined on TikTok contained misinformation.
2025 -
The Guardian (29 April 2025). "Nigel Farage’s Claim of Massive SEND Over-diagnosis Is ‘Fake News’, Says Autism Charity".
News report covering an autism charity’s rejection of a politician’s claim about special needs over-diagnosis.
2025 -
“The Weight Loss Prescription”: The Bookseller, 12 August 2025; HarperCollins, 26 February 2026
Publishing-trade announcement and publisher listing for a book, establishing its title and publication date.
2025 Source ↗ -
The Washington Post (10 April 2025). "RFK Jr. Listed Off Things ‘Autistic People’ Can’t Do — and No One Checked His Facts".
News analysis checking public statements about what autistic people supposedly cannot do.
2025 -
The White House (21 September 2025). "FACT: Evidence Suggests Link Between Acetaminophen, Autism".
Official government statement asserting a paracetamol link, included as the primary source of the claim.
2025 -
WHO Commission on Social Connection (2025). Global loneliness & mortality data.
World Health Organization commission report presenting global data on loneliness and its links to mortality.
2025 -
Wikipedia. "Autism Spectrum Disorder", DSM-5 criteria section (accessed 2025).
Encyclopaedia summary of the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, used as a quick public reference point.
2025 -
Wikipedia. "Thiomersal" (accessed April 2025).
Encyclopaedia article on the vaccine preservative at the centre of long-running and repeatedly disproven autism claims.
2025 -
Zubizarreta, Conde-Pumpido et al. (2025). "The impact of camouflaging autistic traits on psychological and physiological stress: a co-twin control study". Molecular Autism
Molecular Autism study comparing twins to test whether camouflaging (hiding) autistic traits raises psychological and physical stress.
2025 -
Benefits and Work (2 October 2025). Controversial professor to investigate overdiagnosis of mental health and neurodivergence for Labour.
Claimants' website reporting the review panel and calling vice-chair Simon Wessely 'hugely divisive' because of his earlier work on ME/CFS.
2025 Source ↗ -
PA Media (16 March 2025). Doctors overdiagnosing mental health conditions, says Streeting. Published by BreakingNews.ie.
Report of health secretary Wes Streeting agreeing on BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that there is 'an overdiagnosis' of mental health problems.
2025 Source ↗ -
Dazed (October 2025). "Why are men fetishising autistic women on dating apps?".
Dazed magazine article (October 2025) investigating why some men fetishise autistic women on dating apps like Bumble and Hinge.
2025 Source ↗ -
Morris S, Hill S, Brugha T, McManus S (eds) (2025). Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey: Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, England, 2023/4. NHS England.
Survey of adult mental health in England; common mental health conditions rose from about one adult in six in 1993 to over one in five.
2025 Source ↗ -
PA Media (9 December 2025). Badenoch pledges to 'draw a line' on which health issues get welfare support. Published by the Express & Star.
Report of Kemi Badenoch's welfare speech at Glaziers Hall, claiming 'sickfluencers' coach people to game benefits and an anxiety diagnosis can be worth £20,000.
2025 Source ↗ -
PA Media (24 April 2025). Farage accused of being 'out of touch' after 'overdiagnosis' comments. Published by the Express & Star.
Report of Nigel Farage telling a campaign event that over-diagnosis of mental illness is 'creating a class of victims' in Britain.
2025 Source ↗ -
PA Media (1 July 2025). Starmer ditches Pip benefit reforms in face of Labour revolt. Published by the Express & Star.
Report of the government dropping its PIP changes shortly before a Commons vote, with 49 Labour MPs rebelling anyway.
2025 Source ↗ -
FactCheck.org (January 2025). "RFK Jr. Cites Flawed Paper Claiming Link Between Vaccines and Autism in HHS Confirmation Hearing".
FactCheck.org article debunking a flawed vaccine-autism paper that RFK Jr. cited during his HHS confirmation hearing.
2025 Source ↗ -
Department for Work and Pensions (18 March 2025). Pathways to Work: reforming benefits and support to get Britain working. Green paper.
The government's 2025 welfare green paper proposing around £5 billion of cuts, much of it from PIP, published two days after Streeting's overdiagnosis remark.
2025 Source ↗ -
Department for Education. High needs funding 2025-26, operational guide.
Department for Education operational guide explaining how high needs funding for special educational needs in England works for 2025-26.
2025 Source ↗ -
Department for Work and Pensions (2025). The Employment of Disabled People.
Official UK government statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions on the employment of disabled people, published in 2025.
2025 Source ↗ -
Health Service Journal (1 October 2025). Streeting orders probe of mental illness overdiagnosis. Republished by Patient Safety Learning.
The first report of the review, saying it would focus on whether some conditions are overdiagnosed; the government would not confirm it existed.
2025 Source ↗ -
The Guardian (3 December 2025). Wes Streeting orders review of mental health diagnoses as benefit claims soar.
Report, following a Times story, that the health secretary had ordered the review amid concern about rising sickness benefit claims.
2025 Source ↗ -
University of Rochester (2025). News summary of research on autism, stimming and touch.
A University of Rochester news article summarising 2025 research on autism, stimming, and the sense of touch.
2025 Source ↗ -
Pearson A, Hodgetts S (2024) - "Comforting, Reassuring, and ... Hot" (the BDSM paper). doi.org/10.1089/aut.2022.0103
Peer-reviewed research exploring autistic adults' experiences of BDSM and kink, finding participants described it as comforting and reassuring.
2024 DOI ↗ -
Lisk, C., & Lawson, L. M. (2024). Investigating Human-Animal Interactions in Homes of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: a Mixed-Methods Approach. Society & Animals (published online ahead of print 2024).
Mixed-methods study in Society & Animals examining how autistic children interact with pets and animals at home.
2024 DOI ↗ -
Ahlqvist VH et al. (2024). Acetaminophen in pregnancy & child neurodevelopment, sibling analysis. JAMA.
Large JAMA study using sibling comparisons to test whether taking acetaminophen (paracetamol) during pregnancy affects children's brain development.
2024 -
Long et al. (2024). ‘Autism is the Arena and OCD is the Lion’: Autistic adults’ experiences of co-occurring obsessive-compulsive disorder and repetitive restricted behaviours and interests. Autism, 28, 2897-2908.
Peer-reviewed 2024 article in the journal Autism, cited in a discussion of autistic 'safe foods' and eating experiences.
2024 DOI ↗ -
ITV News and Mencap (2024). Investigation into disabled people detained and abused by UK care providers.
Joint broadcast investigation documenting the detention and mistreatment of disabled people in UK care settings.
2024 -
Lei et al. (2024). Camouflaging and anxiety/depression discrepancies.
Research linking camouflaging (masking) of autistic traits to differences in anxiety and depression.
2024 -
McQuaid et al. (2024). Camouflaging, identity, and suicidality
Study examining how camouflaging autistic traits relates to identity and suicidality.
2024 -
Mornement (2024). Understanding Canine Dysfunctional Behavior. Whole Dog Journal, 27 September 2024.
Pet magazine article describing 'canine dysfunctional behaviour', an informal label rather than a recognised, validated veterinary diagnosis.
2024 Source ↗ -
National Children’s Services Autism Association (May 2024). "Getting Real About Autism’s Exponential Explosion".
Advocacy blog post arguing that rising autism figures reflect a real increase rather than better recognition.
2024 -
Public Health Policy Journal. (2024). Vaccine Course - Science, Public Health Policy and the Law.
Vaccine-related publication from the journal Science, Public Health Policy and the Law, referenced in a critique of vaccine-autism research.
2024 -
Ren et al. (2024). Disrupted Human–Dog Interbrain Neural Coupling in Autism-Associated Shank3 Mutant Dogs. Advanced Science, 11(41), 2402493.
EEG study of 10 unmodified and 13 gene-edited Shank3 beagles, finding lower human-dog brain coupling; a separate six-dog LSD pilot raised the measure.
2024 DOI ↗ -
Birg & English (2024). Suppression, authenticity, and likeability.
Study on suppressing autistic traits and how doing so relates to feeling authentic and being liked by others.
Cited in:
Is Masking Ruining Your Relationship? 2024 -
David & Deeley (2024). Psychological Medicine, 54.
Psychological Medicine editorial on autism self-diagnosis, cited in support by Frith’s paper.
2024 -
UnitedHealthcare (2024). Applied behaviour analysis level of care guidelines.
US insurer policy document setting out when it will fund ABA therapy and at what intensity.
Cited in:
Everyone Gets Autism Levels Wrong 2024 -
YouTube Creator Academy. (2024). Vaccine Misinformation Policy: YouTube Community Guidelines.
YouTube's official community guidelines explaining the platform's policy on vaccine misinformation.
2024 -
The Buckland Review of Autism Employment (February 2024).
UK government review (February 2024) led by Sir Robert Buckland examining autistic people's employment, with recommendations for improving it.
2024 Source ↗ -
IndieWire (March 2024). "Netflix's Disability Dating Shows Need to Be Rethought".
IndieWire commentary piece arguing that Netflix's dating shows featuring disabled people, including Love on the Spectrum, need to be rethought.
2024 Source ↗ -
Geiger B (13 May 2024). How far is PIP an 'out-of-work benefit'? Inequalities blog.
Researcher's analysis estimating that roughly one in six people receiving PIP are in paid work, challenging the idea that it is an out-of-work benefit.
2024 Source ↗ -
Medical News Today (2024). Regression in autism.
A Medical News Today health article explaining what regression means in autism and why skills can appear to be lost.
2024 Source ↗ -
"A comparison of gender diversity in transgender young people with and without autistic traits from the Trans 20 cohort study" (2024).
A 2024 cohort study comparing gender diversity in transgender young people with and without autistic traits, from Australia's Trans 20 project.
2024 Source ↗ -
"A Systematic Review of Gender Dysphoria Measures in Autistic Samples" (2024).
A 2024 systematic review examining how well existing questionnaires measure gender dysphoria when used with autistic people.
2024 Source ↗ -
Healthcare (2024). Study of comfort objects and stress recovery in college students.
A 2024 study in the journal Healthcare finding that physical contact with comfort objects helped college students' bodies recover from stress.
2024 Source ↗ -
Douglas & Sedgewick (2024). Experiences of interpersonal victimization and abuse among autistic people. Autism, 28(7).
Peer-reviewed study in the journal Autism on autistic people's experiences of interpersonal victimization and abuse.
2024 Source ↗ -
Mandy, W., et al. (2024). Psychometric exploration of the RAADS-R with autistic adults: Implications for research and clinical practice. Autism Research.
Peer-reviewed study testing how well the RAADS-R, a common adult autism screening questionnaire, actually measures what it claims to measure.
2024 Source ↗ -
Rightsnet (March 2024). Labelling normal anxieties as medical conditions holds people back and drives up benefits bill, says Work and Pensions Secretary.
Report of Mel Stride warning that Britain's mental health culture risked labelling normal anxieties as illness, as he announced benefit changes.
2024 Source ↗ -
Atherton, G., Edisbury, E., Piovesan, A., & Cross, L. (2023). "They ask no questions and pass no criticism": A mixed-methods study exploring pet ownership in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 53(8), 3280-3294.
Study of pet ownership among autistic people, exploring what animal company offers that human company sometimes does not.
2023 DOI ↗ -
Aragon-Guevara et al. (2023) – TikTok autism information accuracy 10.1007/s10803-023-06084-6
Peer-reviewed study assessing how accurate the autism information shared on TikTok actually is.
2023 DOI ↗ -
Gosling CJ, Caparos S, Pinabiaux C and others (2023). Association between relative age at school and persistence of ADHD in prospective studies: an individual participant data meta-analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry, 10(12), 922-933.
Pooled 41 studies from 15 countries: ADHD diagnosed in the youngest children in a class persisted as often as in older classmates.
2023 DOI ↗ -
Williams et al. (2023). Autism & loneliness, Swansea University. Autism.
Peer-reviewed Swansea University study examining loneliness in autistic people.
2023 DOI ↗ -
Buecker et al. (2023). Loneliness amplification in company, N=3,035. Social Psychological and Personality Science.
Study of over 3,000 people finding loneliness can feel even stronger when you are surrounded by other people.
2023 DOI ↗ -
Torralbas-Ortega J et al. (2023) - Affectivity, sexuality, and autism spectrum disorder: qualitative analysis of the experiences of autistic young adults and their families. doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-05380-w
Qualitative study interviewing autistic young adults and their families about their experiences of affection, relationships, and sexuality.
2023 DOI ↗ -
Frontiers in Education (2023). Anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty and demand avoidance.
A 2023 study of adults finding that anxiety, and difficulty tolerating uncertainty, are strong predictors of demand-avoidant behaviour that persists into adulthood.
2023 DOI ↗ -
Demontis et al. (2023), Nature Genetics
Genome-wide association study identifying 27 locations in the genome linked to ADHD.
2023 DOI ↗ -
Autism Science Foundation (April 2023). CDC ADDM Network surveillance methodology.
Explainer describing how the CDC counts autism prevalence, and therefore what its headline figures do and do not measure.
2023 -
Channel 4 Dispatches (2023). "Locked Away: Our Autism Scandal".
Television documentary investigating the detention of autistic people in UK institutions.
2023 -
Danvers, Sbarra & Mehl (2023). Aloneness vs loneliness, University of Arizona. J. Research in Personality.
University of Arizona study distinguishing simply being alone from actually feeling lonely.
2023 -
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, May 2023, on “Sam Thompson: Is This ADHD?”
NHS trust article about one of its clinicians taking part in an earlier television documentary on ADHD.
2023 Source ↗ -
Kim JH et al. (2023), JAMA Network Open 6(12):e2347692. Retinal-photo deep ensembles; mean AUROC 1.00 for autism vs typical development.
JAMA Network Open study where AI analysing photographs of the retina distinguished autistic from non-autistic participants with near-perfect accuracy.
2023 -
Rodriguez et al. (2023). Reframing solitude for lonely people, University of Michigan & Harvard. J. Personality.
Michigan and Harvard study on helping lonely people rethink time alone so solitude feels less negative.
2023 -
Shiloh et al. (2023). Routines, anxiety and family life. Children, 10(4), 742.
Study in the journal Children examining how routines relate to anxiety and everyday family life for autistic people.
2023 -
Manza, Volkow et al. (2023), Nature Communications
Brain-imaging study of how fast a stimulant reaches the brain and whether that speed produces a high.
2023 DOI ↗ -
Brain-subtyping study in Nature Neuroscience (2023).
Earlier attempt to divide autism into subtypes using brain imaging, cited as a precursor to later subtype research.
2023 -
Taylor et al. (2023), Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Twin study reporting that ADHD's heritability stayed stable over time even as diagnosis rates rose.
2023 DOI ↗ -
Weinstein et al. (2023). Chosen solitude & well-being, University of Reading. Scientific Reports.
University of Reading study in Scientific Reports on how solitude that people choose for themselves relates to well-being.
2023 -
NHS England Digital. Autism statistics, January to December 2023.
Official NHS England statistical publication reporting autism assessment referrals and waiting times across 2023.
2023 Source ↗ -
NHS East Kent. Healthcare passport template (March 2023).
An editable healthcare passport template from an NHS trust in Kent that patients can fill in to communicate their needs to hospital staff.
2023 Source ↗ -
Neurodivergent Insights. (2023). Borderline Personality Disorder and Autism.
Article from the Neurodivergent Insights website comparing borderline personality disorder and autism, and how the two can be confused.
2023 Source ↗ -
The Scholarly Kitchen. Reputation and publication volume at MDPI and Frontiers.
A Scholarly Kitchen commentary examining the reputations and enormous publication volumes of the academic publishers MDPI and Frontiers.
2023 Source ↗ -
Pringsheim et al. (2022) – Functional tic-like behaviors increase 10.1002/mdc3.13873
Peer-reviewed report documenting a rise in functional tic-like behaviours, sudden tic-style movements not caused by a neurological tic disorder.
2022 DOI ↗ -
Megerian JT, Dey S, Melmed RD and others (2022). Evaluation of an artificial intelligence-based medical device for diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. npj Digital Medicine, 5, 57.
Main study of Canvas Dx, an AI autism assessment for young children; it gave a definite answer for about a third of 425 children.
2022 DOI ↗ -
Rucklidge et al. (2022) – TikTok ADHD misinformation (52% misleading) 10.1177/07067437221082854
Peer-reviewed analysis finding that 52% of popular ADHD content on TikTok was misleading.
2022 DOI ↗ -
Lilley, R., Lawson, W., Hall, G., Mahony, J., Clapham, H., Heyworth, M., Arnold, S. R., Trollor, J. N., Yudell, M., & Pellicano, E. (2022). ‘A way to be me’: Autobiographical reflections of autistic adults diagnosed in mid-to-late adulthood. Autism, 26(6), 1395-1408.
Interview study in the journal Autism exploring how autistic adults diagnosed in mid-to-late life reflect on and make sense of their diagnosis.
Cited in:
How an #actuallyautistic diagnosis feels 2022 DOI ↗ -
Cazalis, Reyes, Leduc & Gourion (2022). Evidence That Nine Autistic Women Out of Ten Have Been Victims of Sexual Violence. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
Peer-reviewed study reporting evidence that roughly nine out of ten autistic women surveyed had experienced sexual violence.
2022 DOI ↗ -
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed., Text Revision). [DSM-V-TR]
The American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5-TR, the standard manual clinicians use to diagnose mental health and developmental conditions.
2022 -
CDC (2022): autism prevalence about 1 in 31 (3.2%) of eight-year-olds across 16 US surveillance sites.
CDC surveillance data across 16 US sites estimating autism prevalence at about 1 in 31 eight-year-olds (3.2%).
2022 -
Jones et al. (2022). Multi-sensory environments. Cardiff University
Cardiff University research on multi-sensory environments, spaces designed around sensory experiences like light, sound, and touch.
2022 -
Maggio M et al. (2022) - Sex and Sexuality in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Scoping
Scoping review summarising the existing research on sex and sexuality among people on the autism spectrum.
2022 -
NICE (2022). Epilepsies in children, young people and adults (NG217).
UK epilepsy guideline, including when a ketogenic diet may be considered, with specialist support, for epilepsy that does not respond to medication.
2022 Source ↗ -
Rogge, N. (2022). Exploring maximizing, satisficing, and minimizing tendencies in decision-making among autistic and neurotypical individuals. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 91, 101905.
Peer-reviewed study comparing decision-making styles, such as seeking the best option versus settling for good enough, in autistic and non-autistic people.
2022 -
Silverman et al. (2022). Reconsidering animal models used to study autism spectrum disorder: Current state and optimizing future. Genes, Brain and Behavior, 21(5), e12803.
Expert workshop report (UC Davis and NIMH) arguing animal models capture particular developmental changes, not a whole human autism diagnosis.
2022 DOI ↗ -
Tayanloo-Beik et al. (2022). Zebrafish Modeling of Autism Spectrum Disorders, Current Status and Future Prospective. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 911770.
Review of how researchers use genetic changes and chemical exposures in zebrafish to study autism-related biology, and the limits of fish models.
2022 DOI ↗ -
Akhtar, Dinishak & Frymiare (2022). Autism in Adulthood, 4(3), 224-232.
Follow-up study in Autism in Adulthood repeating an earlier measure eight years later to see how results held up over time.
2022 -
American Psychiatric Association (2022). DSM-5-TR, Autism Spectrum Disorder (F84.0).
The official diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder from the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5-TR manual.
2022 -
University of Cambridge / Autistica (2022). Study of undiagnosed autism in people who died by suicide.
University of Cambridge and Autistica research finding a high rate of possible undiagnosed autism among people who died by suicide.
2022 Source ↗ -
Gibbs et al. (2022). The Extent and Nature of Autistic People's Violence Experiences During Adulthood. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Peer-reviewed study documenting how often, and in what forms, autistic people experience violence during adulthood.
2022 Source ↗ -
Olvera et al. (2021) – TikTok tics phenomenon 10.1002/mdc3.13296
Peer-reviewed paper documenting the wave of sudden tic-like behaviours in young people linked to watching tic content on TikTok.
2021 DOI ↗ -
Mykletun A and others (2021). Causal modelling of variation in clinical practice and long-term outcomes of ADHD using Norwegian registry data: the ADHD controversy project. BMJ Open, 11, e041698.
Plan for Norway's ADHD Controversy Project, comparing similar children whose diagnosis depended on their clinic; the review cites its diagnosis findings, still under peer review.
2021 DOI ↗ -
NHS Service (2021) – RAADS-R follow-up effectiveness study 10.1155/2021/9974791
Peer-reviewed study following up how well the RAADS-R autism screening questionnaire performed in an NHS service.
2021 DOI ↗ -
Autism Research Journal. (2021). Anything but the phone! Communication mode preferences in the autism community. Journal of Autism Research.
Study of communication preferences in the autism community, whose title ('Anything but the phone!') reflects a strong preference against phone calls.
2021 -
MacLennan et al. (2021). Autistic adults' experiences of touch.
Research by MacLennan and colleagues showing autistic people's experiences of touch are varied and nuanced, not a simple split between liked and disliked.
2021 -
Cook et al. (2021). Review of camouflaging and gender.
Review by Cook and colleagues of research on camouflaging (masking autistic traits) and how it relates to gender.
Cited in: Is Masking Ruining Your Relationship? 2021 -
DeGrave AJ, Janizek JD & Lee SI (2021), Nature Machine Intelligence 3:610. COVID X-ray models used dataset/source shortcuts, not disease.
Nature Machine Intelligence paper showing AI models reading COVID chest X-rays relied on dataset quirks rather than actual signs of disease.
2021 -
Hammoud et al. (2021). Overcrowding, nature & loneliness, King's College London. Scientific Reports.
King's College London study in Scientific Reports examining how overcrowding and contact with nature relate to feelings of loneliness.
2021 -
Baribeau et al. (2021). Insistence on sameness and anxiety.
Study by Baribeau and colleagues in a British psychiatry journal examining the link between insistence on sameness and anxiety in autistic people.
2021 -
Quadt, L., et al. (2021). Interoceptive training randomised controlled trial (ADIE). EClinicalMedicine.
Randomised trial testing whether training people to read their own bodily signals more accurately reduces anxiety.
2021 -
NICE (2012, updated 2021). Autism spectrum disorder in adults: diagnosis and management (CG142).
UK clinical guideline on diagnosing and supporting autistic adults, covering what assessment involves and advising against exclusion diets for core autistic features.
2021 Source ↗ -
NICE (2013, updated 2021). Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: support and management (CG170).
UK clinical guideline on supporting autistic children and young people, which advises against exclusion diets for the core features of autism.
2021 Source ↗ -
Spann, M., et al. (2021). The prevalence and profile of autism in individuals born preterm: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 130, 376-385.
Systematic review and meta-analysis pooling studies on how common autism is among people who were born prematurely.
2021 -
Sulkama et al. (2021). Canine hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention share similar demographic risk factors and behavioural comorbidities with human ADHD. Translational Psychiatry, 11, 501.
Owner questionnaires on over 11,000 dogs in Finland, linking hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention scores with age, sex, breed and time spent alone.
2021 DOI ↗ -
White, M. P., et al. (2021). Green and blue space and wellbeing across 18 countries.
Cross-country study relating access to parks, coasts and water to how well people report feeling.
2021 -
NHS England (2021). "Do not attempt CPR" decisions and people with a learning disability and/or autism.
Official NHS England guidance on do-not-attempt-CPR decisions as they affect people with a learning disability and/or autism.
2021 Source ↗ -
Office for National Statistics (2021). Outcomes for disabled people in the UK.
The UK Office for National Statistics' 2021 report on outcomes for disabled people, covering employment, education, and wellbeing, including data on autistic adults.
2021 Source ↗ -
Gribble, K., et al. (2021). The Effectiveness of RAADS-R as a Screening Tool for Adult ASD Populations. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
Peer-reviewed study evaluating how effective the RAADS-R questionnaire is at screening for autism in adult populations.
2021 Source ↗ -
Charlton, R. (2021). Autistic and non-autistic adults' accounts of sensory experiences and stimming.
A 2021 peer-reviewed study comparing how autistic and non-autistic adults describe their sensory experiences and stimming behaviours.
2021 Source ↗ -
The Guardian (2021). Report on do-not-resuscitate orders issued for autistic patients.
Guardian news report that do-not-resuscitate orders were imposed on COVID-19 patients with learning disabilities without proper consultation.
2021 Source ↗ -
The Washington Post (2021). Pastor Greg Locke demands churchgoers stop wearing masks.
Washington Post news report (2021) on Tennessee pastor Greg Locke demanding that his churchgoers stop wearing masks.
2021 Source ↗ -
Weir, E, Allison, C, Baron-Cohen S (2020) - The sexual health, orientation, and activity of autistic adolescents and adults. doi.org/10.1002/aur.2604
Large peer-reviewed study by Cambridge researchers on the sexual health, orientation, and sexual activity of autistic adolescents and adults.
2020 DOI ↗ -
Leedham, A., Thompson, A. R., Smith, R., & Freeth, M. (2020). ‘I was exhausted trying to figure it out’: The experiences of females receiving an autism diagnosis in middle to late adulthood. Autism, 24(1), 135-146.
Interview study in the journal Autism on the experiences of women receiving an autism diagnosis in middle to late adulthood.
Cited in: How an #actuallyautistic diagnosis feels 2020 DOI ↗ -
Arakawa (2020). From Multisensory Assessment to Functional Interpretation of Social Behavioral Phenotype in Transgenic Mouse Models for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 592408.
Review of mouse social-behaviour tests such as the three-chamber test, and how smell and other senses shape what they actually measure.
2020 DOI ↗ -
Autistic-to-autistic communication: Crompton et al. (2020)
Research by Crompton and colleagues on how effectively autistic people communicate with other autistic people.
Cited in: Is Masking Ruining Your Relationship? 2020 -
Lai M et al. (2020), EClinicalMedicine 28:100588. Earlier small study (70 participants), AUROC 0.974.
Earlier, small medical AI study of just 70 participants that reported a near-perfect accuracy score (AUROC 0.974).
2020 -
Nobili, A., Glazebrook, C., & Bouman, W. P. (2020). Autistic traits in transgender adults. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(10), 3489–3503.
Peer-reviewed study measuring how common autistic traits are among transgender adults.
2020 -
Caye A, Petresco S, de Barros AJD and others (2020). Relative age and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: data from three epidemiological cohorts and a meta-analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
Data from three population cohorts plus a meta-analysis, finding the youngest children in a school year more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD.
2020 DOI ↗ -
Rossi, S., et al. (2020). Management of pain in newborn circumcision: a systematic review. Italian Journal of Pediatrics.
Systematic review of how pain is managed during newborn circumcision, and how routinely relief is actually given.
2020 -
Sutherland (2020). What bees can teach us about efficiency. The Spectator, 25 April 2020.
Magazine column using scout and forager honeybees to argue that a few individuals doing things differently can benefit the whole group.
2020 Source ↗ -
Palmer, E., et al. (2020). Testing adults by questionnaire for social and communication disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, in an adult mental health service population. BJPsych Open, 6(2), e31.
Peer-reviewed study testing questionnaire-based screening for autism and social communication disorders among adults using mental health services.
2020 Source ↗ -
Cogent Psychology (2019). Article questioning long-term compliance-focused ABA.
Cogent Psychology article (2019) questioning whether long-term, compliance-focused ABA therapy for autistic people amounts to abuse.
2019 DOI ↗ -
Kinnaird et al. (2019). Meta-analysis of alexithymia in autism.
A meta-analysis pooling studies on alexithymia, difficulty identifying and describing one's own emotions, as it occurs in autistic people.
Cited in: Is Masking Ruining Your Relationship? 2019 -
Brown, N. J. L., & Rohrer, J. M. (2019). Critique of the happiness pie model.
Methodological critique arguing the popular split of happiness into genes, circumstances and activity does not hold up.
2019 -
Livingston, Shah & Happé (2019).
Framework paper distinguishing compensation from masking in how autistic people adapt to social demands.
2019 -
Bai, D., et al. (2019). Heritability of autism spectrum disorder. JAMA Psychiatry.
Large family study estimating that around 80% of the variation in autism is explained by inherited genetic differences.
2019 -
Pfeiffer et al. (2019). Noise-attenuating headphones. American Journal of Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy study examining noise-attenuating headphones as a support for people with auditory sensitivities.
2019 -
Root A, Brown JP, Forbes HJ and others (2019). Association of relative age in the school year with diagnosis of intellectual disability, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and depression. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(11), 1068.
UK GP records for over a million children: the youngest in each school year were about a third more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD.
2019 DOI ↗ -
Sheldon, K. M., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2019). Reply to the critique of the happiness pie model.
The original authors responding to criticism of their model, and revising some of their earlier claims.
2019 -
Kapp, S. K., et al. (2019). Autistic community views on stimming. Autism.
Study asking autistic people themselves about stimming, which they describe as self-regulation rather than a symptom.
2019 -
Topál, Román & Turcsán (2019). The dog (Canis familiaris) as a translational model of autism: It is high time we move from promise to reality. WIREs Cognitive Science, 10, e1495.
Opinion paper proposing dogs as a model for aspects of human autism, including drug testing; it declares an industry-employed author and industry funding.
2019 DOI ↗ -
Funder & Ozer (2019).
Widely used methods paper on interpreting effect sizes: what small and large correlations actually mean in psychology.
2019 -
Winkler JK et al. (2019), JAMA Dermatology 155(10):1135. Surgical pen marks raised false-positive melanoma calls (shortcut learning).
JAMA Dermatology study showing an AI skin-cancer model wrongly flagged melanoma when surgical pen marks appeared in images, an example of shortcut learning.
2019 -
Hull et al. (2018) – CAT-Q masking questionnaire development 10.1177/1362361319852831
The research describing the development of the CAT-Q, a standardised questionnaire for measuring masking of autistic traits.
2018 DOI ↗ -
British Veterinary Association (2018). UK's leading veterinary body debunks link between canine autism and vaccination.
British Veterinary Association statement that there is no reliable scientific evidence of autism in dogs, issued amid claims linking pet vaccines to autism.
2018 Source ↗ -
Chen et al. (2018). Developmental and behavioral alterations in zebrafish embryonically exposed to valproic acid (VPA): an aquatic model for autism. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 66, 8-16.
Zebrafish embryos exposed to valproic acid; higher doses caused physical abnormalities such as uninflated swim bladders, which can confound social-behaviour tests.
2018 DOI ↗ -
Chekroud, S. R., et al. (2018). Exercise and mental health. The Lancet Psychiatry.
Large population study relating how much people exercise to how many poor mental health days they report.
2018 -
Hedley et al. (2018). Loneliness in autistic adults.
Study finding that 79% of autistic adults surveyed reported experiencing loneliness.
2018 -
Curry, O. S., et al. (2018). Happiness and kindness: a meta-analysis.
Meta-analysis pooling experiments on whether performing acts of kindness improves the giver’s own wellbeing.
2018 -
Brodersen J, Schwartz LM, Heneghan C and others (2018). Overdiagnosis: what it is and what it isn't. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, 23(1), 1.
Defines overdiagnosis as a correct diagnosis that brings no benefit, and says plainly it is neither a false-positive result nor a misdiagnosis.
2018 DOI ↗ -
Rynkiewicz, A., & Łucka, I. (2018). ASD in girls: Co-occurring psychopathology. Psychiatria Polska, 52(3), 497–506.
Polish psychiatry journal article on mental-health conditions that commonly co-occur with autism in girls.
2018 -
Time (26 April 2018). "This May Be Why Autism Diagnoses Are On the Rise, According to the CDC".
News report on the CDC’s own explanations for why recorded autism diagnosis rates keep climbing.
2018 -
Autistic Science Person (2018). Blog post on autistic burnout and "regression".
A personal blog post by an autistic writer describing burnout, apparent loss of skills, and the identity crisis that can follow.
2018 Source ↗ -
NHS Digital (2018). Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2017.
National survey that clinically assessed children for mental health conditions including ADHD; the most recent such survey the 2026 review could draw on.
2018 Source ↗ -
The Guardian (2018). The Judge Rotenberg Center's electric shocks.
Guardian news report (2018) on the Judge Rotenberg Center in Massachusetts, a facility that uses electric shocks on disabled residents.
2018 Source ↗ -
Hull, L., Petrides, K. V., & Mandy, W. (2017). The female autism phenotype and ‘camouflaging.’ Autism.
Paper on the 'female autism phenotype', the idea that autism can look different in women, and its link to camouflaging.
2017 -
Hoogman et al. (2017), Lancet Psychiatry
Large multi-site brain-imaging study (ENIGMA) finding only small average differences between groups with and without ADHD.
2017 DOI ↗ -
Guan & Li (2017). "Injury Mortality in Individuals With Autism". American Journal of Public Health, Vol 107, Issue 5
Public-health study in a major American journal examining death rates from injuries among autistic people.
2017 -
Hull et al. (2017, 2020). Masking/camouflaging research
A body of research by Hull and colleagues on masking and camouflaging, hiding or compensating for autistic traits in social settings.
2017 -
Hull, L. (2017). “Putting on My Best Normal”: Social Camouflaging in Adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions
Interview-based study in which autistic adults describe how and why they camouflage their autistic traits in social situations.
2017 -
Jones, Carberry, Hamo & Lord (2017). Placebo-like response in absence of treatment in children with Autism. Autism Research, 10(9), 1567-1572.
With no treatment given, caregiver ratings of autistic children's behaviour still fell over eight weeks, while clinician ratings showed no significant change.
2017 DOI ↗ -
Loomes, R., Hull, L., & Mandy, W. (2017). Male-to-female ratio in ASD: A review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 56(6), 466–474.
Meta-analysis pooling many prevalence studies to estimate the true ratio of autistic males to autistic females.
2017 -
Sashegyi, A., et al. (2017). On the interpretation of the hazard ratio. Oncology and Therapy.
Statistics explainer on what a hazard ratio actually means, since it is frequently misread as a risk reduction.
2017 -
Sathe, Andrews, McPheeters & Warren (2017). Nutritional and Dietary Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review. Pediatrics, 139(6), e20170346.
Systematic review of diets and nutritional supplements for autism, concluding the evidence is insufficient to support using them.
2017 DOI ↗ -
Occupational Therapy International (2017). Deep pressure therapy case series.
A 2017 case-series study of deep pressure therapy for autistic young people with intellectual disabilities, finding immediate calming benefits for some but wide individual variation.
2017 Source ↗ -
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2016). Autism in Toddlers Born Very Preterm. Pediatrics, 137(2), e20151949.
Study in the journal Pediatrics on autism rates among toddlers who were born very prematurely.
2016 -
Brosnan, M., Lewton, M., & Ashwin, C. (2016). Reasoning on the autism spectrum: A dual process theory account. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(6), 2115–2125.
Study applying 'dual process' theory, fast intuitive versus slow deliberate thinking, to how autistic people reason.
2016 -
Haslam (2016); Haslam & Tse (2025).
Nick Haslam’s “concept creep” work on how harm-related concepts expand their meaning over time, updated in 2025.
2016 -
Wu et al. (2016). Meta-analysis of family accommodation in OCD.
Meta-analysis of 'family accommodation', the ways relatives adjust routines and behaviour around a family member's OCD symptoms.
2016 -
Hirvikoski et al. (2016). "Premature mortality in autism spectrum disorder". British Journal of Psychiatry, Vol 208, Issue 3
Major psychiatric study documenting that autistic people die prematurely, earlier, on average, than the general population.
2016 -
Hyman et al. (2016). The Gluten-Free/Casein-Free Diet: A Double-Blind Challenge Trial in Children with Autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46, 205-220.
Double-blind trial giving 14 autistic children on a gluten-free, casein-free diet hidden gluten or casein snacks; no effects on behaviour, sleep or autistic traits.
2016 DOI ↗ -
Garfinkel, S. N., et al. (2016). Interoception and anxiety. Biological Psychology.
Research relating how accurately people sense their own internal bodily signals to their levels of anxiety.
2016 -
Kanegae et al. (2016). Earmuffs effectiveness. Hong Kong J Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy study testing how effective earmuffs are, cited in the context of managing sound sensitivity.
2016 -
Lever & Geurts (2016). Lifetime mental health problems in autistic adults.
Study reporting that 79% of autistic adults had experienced a mental-health condition at some point in their lives.
Cited in: Is Masking Ruining Your Relationship? 2016 -
Mei et al. (2016). Adult restoration of Shank3 expression rescues selective autistic-like phenotypes. Nature, 530, 481-484.
Restoring the Shank3 gene in adult mice improved social interaction and repetitive grooming, but not anxiety or motor coordination: a selective rescue.
2016 DOI ↗ -
BBC News (2016). "People with autism 'die younger', warns charity".
BBC News health-section article cited in a video discussing autism diagnosis and suicide risk.
2016 Source ↗ -
Lewis (2016). Realizing a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder as an adult.
A 2016 peer-reviewed study exploring what it is like to discover and come to terms with an autism diagnosis as an adult.
2016 Source ↗ -
Peer-reviewed article on allostatic overload and disease.
A peer-reviewed article on allostatic overload, the idea that chronic stress can overwhelm the body's systems and contribute to disease.
2015 DOI ↗ -
Cadman et al. (2015). Autism and OCD overlap. Autism Research, 8(5), 477-485.
Peer-reviewed study in the journal Autism Research examining how autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder overlap and co-occur.
2015 -
Bratman, G. N., et al. (2015). Nature experience and rumination.
Experiment testing whether time spent in a natural setting reduces repetitive negative thinking.
2015 -
Frisch M, Simonsen J (2015). Ritual circumcision & ASD (Denmark cohort). JRSM.
Danish national cohort study in a Royal Society of Medicine journal examining whether ritual circumcision in boys is associated with later autism diagnosis.
2015 -
Holt-Lunstad et al. (2015). Meta-analysis of loneliness, social isolation and mortality.
Large meta-analysis finding that loneliness and social isolation increase mortality risk, an effect often compared to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
2015 -
Michael Gill (2015). Already Doing It: Intellectual Disability and Sexual Agency. University of Minnesota Press
Academic book from University of Minnesota Press examining sexual agency among people with intellectual disabilities, arguing they are 'already' sexual beings with rights.
2015 -
Morris BJ, Wiswell TE (2015). “‘Circumcision pain’ unlikely to cause autism.” JRSM.
Published rebuttal in the same medical journal arguing that pain from circumcision is unlikely to cause autism, countering the Danish cohort study.
2015 -
Thompson-Hollands et al. (2015). Reducing family accommodation as part of treatment.
Clinical research on making the reduction of accommodation, the ways others adjust around a person's symptoms, an explicit part of treatment.
2015 -
APA PsycNet record (2015 psychology study).
Record of a peer-reviewed psychology study in the APA PsycNet database (2015); the bare link doesn't reveal the study's specific topic.
2015 Source ↗ -
Hubbard, Anderson, Curtin, Must & Bandini (2014). Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 114(12), 1981-1987.
Peer-reviewed article in an academic nutrition and dietetics journal, cited in a discussion of autism, OCD and eating-related behaviour.
2014 -
Kreiser, N. L., & White, S. W. (2014). ASD in females: Overstating the gender gap? Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 17(1), 67–84.
Academic review asking whether the reported male-to-female gap in autism diagnoses is overstated, and examining how autism presents in females.
2014 -
Tsilioni et al. (2014). Elevated serum neurotensin and CRH levels in children with autistic spectrum disorders and tail-chasing Bull Terriers with a phenotype similar to autism. Translational Psychiatry, 4, e466.
Small study finding two blood markers raised in both autistic children and tail-chasing Bull Terriers: a possible shared biology, not a diagnostic test.
2014 DOI ↗ -
Weitlauf, A. S., et al. (2014). Discrepant conceptualizations of ASD severity.
Paper showing that "severity" is used inconsistently across research and clinics, so the same label means different things.
Cited in: Everyone Gets Autism Levels Wrong 2014 -
Neufeld, J., Sinke, C., Dillo, W., et al. (2013). The neuropsychology of autism and synesthesia. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(5), 1022–1031.
Peer-reviewed paper comparing the cognitive and neurological features of autism and synaesthesia to understand how the two conditions relate.
2013 -
O'Haire, M. E. (2013). Animal-assisted intervention for autism spectrum disorder: a systematic literature review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(7), 1606-1622.
Systematic review of studies using animals in autism interventions, assessing how strong that evidence actually is.
2013 DOI ↗ -
Baron-Cohen, S., Johnson, D., Asher, J., et al. (2013). Is synaesthesia more common in autism? Molecular Autism, 4(1), 40.
Peer-reviewed study testing whether synaesthesia, blended senses, like seeing colours when hearing sounds, occurs more often in autistic people.
2013 DOI ↗ -
Bauer AZ, Kriebel D (2013). Prenatal/perinatal analgesics & autism (ecological). Environmental Health.
Population-level (ecological) study exploring whether use of painkillers around pregnancy and birth correlates with autism rates.
2013 -
Kirkovski, M., Enticott, P. G., & Fitzgerald, P. B. (2013). Female gender in ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(11), 2584–2603.
Peer-reviewed review summarising research on how autism is experienced and identified in women and girls.
2013 -
University of Washington (2013). DSM-5 autism severity level specifiers.
Teaching resource explaining the three DSM-5 support levels and how clinicians are meant to apply them.
Cited in: Everyone Gets Autism Levels Wrong 2013 -
McPartland et al. (2012), JAACAP; Maenner et al. (2014), JAMA Psychiatry.
Studies warning that DSM-5’s autism criteria could be narrower than DSM-IV’s, potentially excluding some previously diagnosed people.
2012 -
Eisenberger (2012). Neural bases of social pain. Psychosomatic Medicine.
Neuroscience paper on how the brain processes social pain, such as the hurt of rejection and exclusion.
2012 -
Liang et al. (2012). Molecular determinants of scouting behavior in honey bees. Science, 335(6073), 1225-1228.
Scout honeybees showed different brain gene activity from other foragers, and drugs affecting brain signalling changed how likely bees were to scout.
2012 DOI ↗ -
Luke, L., Clare, I. C. H., Ring, H., Redley, M., & Watson, P. (2012). Decision-making difficulties experienced by adults with autism spectrum conditions. Autism, 16(6), 612–621.
Peer-reviewed study documenting the difficulties autistic adults report when making everyday decisions.
2012 -
Impett et al. (2012). Emotional suppression in couples.
Psychology study on how suppressing emotions affects romantic couples and the quality of their relationships.
Cited in: Is Masking Ruining Your Relationship? 2012 -
Lord et al. (2012). Archives of General Psychiatry.
Multi-site study behind abandoning the DSM-IV subtypes: which label a child received depended more on the clinic than the child.
2012 -
Ritvo et al. (2011) – RAADS-R original validation 10.1007/s10803-011-1378-7
The original validation study of the RAADS-R, a self-report questionnaire designed to help identify autism in adults.
2011 DOI ↗ -
Allman, M. J., DeLeon, I. G., & Wearden, J. H. (2011). Psychophysical assessment of timing in individuals with autism. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 116(2), 165–178.
Peer-reviewed lab study measuring how autistic individuals perceive and judge time, using standard psychophysical timing tasks.
2011 DOI ↗ -
Stevenson, Harp & Gernsbacher (2011). Disability Studies Quarterly, 31(3).
Article by autism researcher Morton Ann Gernsbacher in Disability Studies Quarterly, an academic journal that approaches disability from a social and rights-based perspective.
2011 -
Beery & Zucker (2011). Sex bias in neuroscience and biomedical research. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 35(3), 565-572.
Survey of published animal research showing male-only studies far outnumbered female-only ones, by about five and a half to one in neuroscience.
2011 DOI ↗ -
Gould, J., & Ashton-Smith, J. (2011). Missed or misdiagnosis? Girls and women on the autism spectrum. Good Autism Practice, 12(1), 34–41.
Practitioner journal article arguing that autistic girls and women are frequently missed or misdiagnosed because their traits present differently from boys.
2011 -
Moon-Fanelli, Dodman, Famula & Cottam (2011). Characteristics of compulsive tail chasing and associated risk factors in Bull Terriers. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 238(7), 883-889.
Owner survey of 333 Bull Terriers linking compulsive tail chasing with trance-like behaviour and aggression; a compulsive-disorder study, not an autism assessment.
2011 DOI ↗ -
RAADS-R: 97% sensitivity (2011) but no predictive validity in NHS clinic (2021)
Two contrasting findings about the RAADS-R autism questionnaire: near-perfect sensitivity in its original 2011 study, but no predictive validity when tested in an NHS clinic in 2021.
2011 -
Ritvo, R. A., et al. (2011). The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R): A Scale to Assist the Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults: An International Validation Study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41(8), 1076-1089.
International validation study of the RAADS-R self-report scale, developed to assist clinicians in diagnosing autism in adults.
2011 -
Stevenson, Harp & Gernsbacher (2011). Infantilizing Autism. Disability Studies Quarterly
Academic article on the infantilising of autistic people, the tendency to treat autistic adults as if they were children.
2011 -
Martin, J. S., Poirier, M., & Bowler, D. M. (2010). Brief report: Impaired temporal reproduction performance in adults with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40(5), 640–646.
Brief research report finding that autistic adults had difficulty accurately reproducing time intervals compared to non-autistic adults.
2010 DOI ↗ -
Pennick (2010), Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
Pharmacology paper explaining how lisdexamfetamine works as a prodrug: inactive until the body converts it.
2010 DOI ↗ -
Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine.
Meta-analysis pooling many studies on how strongly social connection relates to how long people live.
2010 -
Neural circuitry of emotional face processing in autism spectrum disorders (2010). fMRI study.
Brain-imaging (fMRI) study examining how the brain circuits for processing emotional faces work in autistic people.
2010 Source ↗ -
Richdale, A. L., & Schreck, K. A. (2009). Sleep problems in autism spectrum disorders: Prevalence, nature, & possible biopsychosocial aetiologies. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 13(6), 403–411.
Review article summarising how common sleep problems are in autism, what forms they take, and their possible biological and psychological causes.
2009 DOI ↗ -
Souders, M. C., Mason, T. B., Valladares, O., et al. (2009). Sleep behaviors and sleep quality in children with autism spectrum disorders. Sleep, 32(12), 1566–1578.
Peer-reviewed sleep study documenting sleep behaviours and poorer sleep quality in autistic children compared with non-autistic children.
2009 DOI ↗ -
Cacioppo, Fowler & Christakis (2009). Loneliness contagion, Framingham Heart Study. J. Personality and Social Psychology.
Famous social psychology study using Framingham Heart Study data showing loneliness spreads through social networks like a contagion.
2009 -
Simonoff et al. (2008), Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Population study of psychiatric conditions in autistic children, widely cited for how often ADHD co-occurs.
2008 DOI ↗ -
Nolen-Hoeksema, S., et al. (2008). Rethinking rumination. Perspectives on Psychological Science.
Review of research on rumination, the habit of turning distressing thoughts over and over without resolving them.
2008 -
Grabenhorst, Rolls & Bilderbeck (2008). Cerebral Cortex, 18(7), 1549-1559.
Incomplete citation to a 2008 article in the neuroscience journal Cerebral Cortex; the topic is not clear from the reference itself.
2008 -
Mark, G. (2008). "The Cost of Interrupted Work: More Speed and Stress".
Workplace research by Gloria Mark finding that interrupted workers compensate by working faster, at the cost of increased stress.
2008 -
South, M., Ozonoff, S., & McMahon, W. M. (2007). Repetitive behavior profiles in Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37(5), 834–846.
Peer-reviewed study comparing patterns of repetitive behaviours between people with Asperger syndrome and those with high-functioning autism.
2007 DOI ↗ -
Attwood, T. (2007). The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Widely used reference book by clinician Tony Attwood covering the characteristics, diagnosis, and support of Asperger's syndrome across the lifespan.
2007 -
Bryant, F. B., & Veroff, J. (2007). Savoring: A New Model of Positive Experience.
Book proposing savouring, deliberately attending to good experiences, as a skill that can be practised.
2007 -
Happé, F., & Frith, U. (2006). The weak coherence account: Detail-focused cognitive style in autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(1), 5–25.
Influential theory paper proposing that autistic thinking favours fine detail over the bigger picture, known as weak central coherence.
2006 DOI ↗ -
Knickmeyer, R., Baron-Cohen, S., Raggatt, P., Taylor, K., & Hackett, G. (2006). Foetal testosterone and empathy. Hormones and Behavior, 49(3), 282–292.
Peer-reviewed study examining whether testosterone levels before birth are linked to later empathy, part of Baron-Cohen's hormone research programme.
2006 DOI ↗ -
Baird G, Simonoff E, Pickles A and others (2006). Prevalence of disorders of the autism spectrum in a population cohort of children in South Thames: the Special Needs and Autism Project (SNAP). The Lancet, 368, 210-215.
Landmark study assessing children in South Thames for autism; the 2026 review still uses it as its main benchmark for how common autism is.
2006 DOI ↗ -
Los Angeles Times (2006). Obituary of Bernard Rimland.
A 2006 Los Angeles Times obituary of Bernard Rimland that dubs him the father of modern autism research, the newspaper's phrase, not the channel's.
2006 Source ↗ -
APA PsycNet record (2006 psychology article).
A peer-reviewed psychology article from around 2006 catalogued in the American Psychological Association's PsycNet database; full details are not publicly viewable.
2006 Source ↗ -
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.
The book that introduced flow, the absorbed state of being so immersed in an activity that time drops away.
2005 -
Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness: the architecture of sustainable change.
The paper behind the happiness pie, splitting wellbeing between genes, circumstances and intentional activity.
2005 -
Riis, J., et al. (2005). Ignorance of hedonic adaptation to haemodialysis.
Study comparing dialysis patients’ actual day-to-day mood with how miserable healthy people assume it must be.
2005 -
Brady-Fryer B, Wiebe N, Lander JA (2004). Pain relief for neonatal circumcision (Cochrane). CDSR.
Cochrane systematic review evaluating the evidence on pain relief methods used during newborn circumcision.
2004 -
The Guardian (2004). Science section article (link no longer available).
A 2004 article from The Guardian's science section; the bare link doesn't state its subject, cited in a video about autism and intelligence.
2004 -
Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Experiment testing whether regularly writing down things you are grateful for measurably improves wellbeing.
2003 -
Rakov & Uman (2003). Lightning: Physics and Effects, Chapter 1. Cambridge University Press.
Lightning textbook whose opening chapter recounts a 1784 tally of 386 strikes on bell towers and 103 bell ringers killed between 1750 and 1783.
2003 Source ↗ -
Müller, E., Schuler, A., Burton, B. A., & Yates, G. B. (2003). Meeting the vocational support needs of individuals with Asperger syndrome and other autism spectrum disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 18(3), 163–175.
Journal article on the job-support needs of adults with Asperger syndrome and other autism spectrum conditions in vocational rehabilitation.
2003 Source ↗ -
Manning, J. T., Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S., & Sanders, G. (2001). The 2nd to 4th digit ratio and autism. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 43(3), 160–164.
Peer-reviewed study investigating whether finger length ratio, a proposed marker of prenatal hormone exposure, is associated with autism.
2001 DOI ↗ -
Crabbe, Wahlsten & Dudek (1999). Genetics of mouse behavior: interactions with laboratory environment. Science, 284(5420), 1670-1672.
The same mouse strains, tested with matched methods in three labs, gave different results on some behaviour tests, showing how much the lab environment matters.
1999 DOI ↗ -
Volkow et al. (1999), Life Sciences
Imaging study comparing how methylphenidate and cocaine act on the brain’s dopamine transporter.
1999 DOI ↗ -
Sheldon, K. M., & Elliot, A. J. (1999). Goal striving, need satisfaction and wellbeing: the self-concordance model.
Research on why goals you picked yourself tend to be pursued more successfully than goals set for you.
1999 -
APA PsycNet record (1998 psychology article).
A peer-reviewed psychology article from around 1998 catalogued in the American Psychological Association's PsycNet database; full details are not publicly viewable.
1998 Source ↗ -
DSM-IV (1994) ADHD–autism diagnostic exclusion; removed in DSM-5 (2013).
DSM-IV (1994) barred diagnosing ADHD and autism together; DSM-5 removed that exclusion in 2013.
1994 -
Los Angeles Times (1992). Profile of Bernard Rimland.
A 1992 Los Angeles Times profile of Bernard Rimland, the psychologist and autism researcher, offering historical context.
1992 Source ↗ -
Seligman, M. E. P. (1991). Learned Optimism.
Book arguing that an optimistic way of explaining setbacks can be learned, and linking it to resilience.
1991 -
Rozin, Millman & Nemeroff (1986). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50(4), 703-712.
Incomplete citation to a 1986 article in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology; the topic is unclear from the reference.
1986 -
Baron-Cohen, Leslie & Frith (1985). Cognition, 21.
The original Sally-Anne false-belief study in Cognition, the foundation of the theory-of-mind account of autism.
1985 -
Wing, L. (1981). Asperger’s syndrome: a clinical account. Psychological Medicine, 11(1), 115-129.
Lorna Wing’s 1981 paper that introduced Asperger’s work to English-speaking clinicians and revived the idea of an autism spectrum.
1981 -
Brickman, P., Coates, D., & Janoff-Bulman, R. (1978). Lottery winners and accident victims: is happiness relative? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
The classic study behind the idea that people drift back toward a baseline mood after major good or bad events.
1978 -
Cox, D. R. (1972). Regression models and life-tables. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series B.
Foundational statistics paper introducing the proportional hazards model used throughout survival analysis.
1972 -
Harris, T. (1967). I'm OK, You're OK.
Popular psychology book by Thomas Harris describing four basic 'life positions' people take toward themselves and others, based on transactional analysis.
Cited in: Is Masking Ruining Your Relationship? 1967 -
The "Class System" sketch with John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett (1966).
Classic 1966 British comedy sketch satirising the class system, featuring John Cleese, Ronnie Barker, and Ronnie Corbett.
Cited in: Everyone Gets Autism Levels Wrong 1966 -
Berne, E. (1964). Games People Play: games and intimacy.
Eric Berne's bestselling book on transactional analysis, cited here for its account of social 'games' people play instead of genuine intimacy.
Cited in: Is Masking Ruining Your Relationship? 1964 -
Berne, E. (1964). Games People Play.
Eric Berne's bestselling book on transactional analysis, cited here for the 'Yes, but' game, a repeating pattern where advice is invited then rejected.
1964 -
Cronbach & Meehl (1955). Construct validity in psychological tests.
Classic psychology paper on construct validity: how researchers establish that an unobservable concept, like a mental trait, is scientifically real.
1955 -
Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations.
The original statement of social comparison theory, on how people judge themselves by measuring against others.
1954 -
Kanner (1943); Asperger (1944).
The first clinical descriptions of autism: Leo Kanner (1943) and Hans Asperger (1944).
1943 -
Study of adults newly diagnosed with autism: an 11-year gap in mental health care (2022).
A 2022 study of adults newly diagnosed with autism finding a median 11-year gap since first seeking mental health care, with many previously misdiagnosed with other conditions.
Cited in:
FIVE Downsides of Adult Autism Diagnosis -
Ghanizadeh, A. (2011). c-Kit+ cells transplantation as a new treatment for autism: a novel hypothesis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41(11), 1591-1592.
Hypothesis paper in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (2011) proposing stem-cell (c-Kit+ cell) transplantation as a possible autism treatment.
-
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders study (link no longer resolves).
Study in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (Springer); the cited link no longer resolves, so specifics cannot be confirmed.
-
Current Psychiatry Reports (2019). Review of autism in women.
A 2019 review in Current Psychiatry Reports on autism in women, describing how differences in presentation lead to late or missed diagnoses and affect treatment.
Cited in: FIVE Downsides of Adult Autism Diagnosis -
Journal of Attention Disorders pilot study: ADHD and autistic-trait scores (2013).
A pilot study in the Journal of Attention Disorders finding that people with ADHD scored higher than a control group on several measures of sensitivity to injustice.
-
"Anything but the phone!": Communication mode preferences in the autism community (2021). Autism.
A 2021 study in the journal Autism on communication preferences, reflecting that many autistic people would choose almost any mode over phone calls.
Cited in:
☎️ Do Autistic People Hate Phonecalls? 🛑 -
Maggio, M. G., Calatozzo, P., Cerasa, A., & Pioggia, G. (2022). Sex and Sexuality in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Scoping Review on a Neglected but Fundamental Issue. Brain Sciences, 12(11), 1427.
Scoping review gathering what research exists on sex and sexuality in autism, an area the authors argue is neglected.
-
Cary, A. Editorial: "Towards the equal recognition of autism in female individuals".
Journal editorial published alongside related research, arguing for equal recognition of autism in girls and women.
-
Hayden, C. Different, Not Less.
Memoir and practical guide by autistic advocate Chloe Hayden about growing up autistic and ADHD.
-
Romero, C. Social media posts coining the terms "neurodifferent" and "neurodeficit".
Origin of two coined terms discussed in the video, taken from the creator’s own social media posts.
Cited in: Everyone Gets Autism Levels Wrong -
Garau, V., Murray, A., Woods, R., Chown, N., Hallett, S., Murray, F., Wood, R., & Fletcher-Watson, S. Development and validation of a novel self-report measure of monotropism: The Monotropism Questionnaire.
The study that built and tested the Monotropism Questionnaire, a self-report measure of monotropic attention.
-
Duhem, P., Quine, W. V. O., and Laudan, L. Work on the limits of falsifiability.
Philosophy of science on why a failed prediction cannot cleanly refute one hypothesis on its own.
-
Research on finger length ratio (2D:4D) and autism.
Body of work examining whether the ratio between index and ring finger length relates to autistic traits.
-
Rippon, G. The Lost Girls of Autism.
Book by neuroscientist Gina Rippon on why autistic girls and women have been so consistently missed.
-
Partlow, K. "I didn’t get picked to be on the next season of Love on the Spectrum".
First-hand account from an original cast member about not being selected for a later season.
-
American Psychiatric Association. DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder.
The formal diagnostic criteria, including the three support levels used to describe how much help someone needs.
Cited in: Everyone Gets Autism Levels Wrong -
IMDb user reviews of Love on the Spectrum.
Viewer reviews cited as evidence of how often audiences describe the programme as "wholesome" and "pure".
-
Inc. "A Teenager Just Turned Eye Scans Into an AI Test for Autism and ADHD".
Business magazine write-up of the student retinal-scan project, repeating its headline accuracy claim.
-
Israel Ministry of Health. "About Autism Spectrum Disorder".
Government health portal giving national autism prevalence figures, cited in a comparison between countries.
-
Smilges, J. L. Disability and rhetoric scholarship, University of British Columbia.
Academic work on disability and rhetoric, drawn on for how media language frames disabled people.
-
"Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adults in the Community in England". JAMA Psychiatry.
Population survey estimating how common autism is among adults in England, including those never diagnosed.
-
Popper, K. Work on falsifiability.
The philosopher who argued that a claim is only scientific if it could in principle be shown to be wrong.
-
Review of the neurobiology of loneliness, Lidsen journals.
Review distinguishing loneliness from chosen solitude, and describing what each does in the brain.
-
Lombardo, M. V., & Mandelli, V. Research on heterogeneity in autism.
Work on how much autistic people differ from one another, and what that means for studies that report averages.
-
Hacking, I. "Making Up People".
Philosophy essay on looping effects, the way naming a category of person changes the people so named.
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Evans, M. Commentary by an autistic sex educator, quoted in Dazed.
Comment from an autistic sex educator, quoted in a magazine article about dating and safety.
-
Lamb, E. Posts on The Autism Cafe.
Blog and social posts from a parent advocate, cited as an example of how severity language gets used publicly.
Cited in: Everyone Gets Autism Levels Wrong -
National Bell Festival (n.d.). An Introduction to Bell Inscriptions.
Guide to inscriptions cast on church bells, including 'fulgura frango' (I break the lightning), from the old belief that ringing could disperse storms.
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Netflix press materials. Emmy Awards listing and category classification.
Official listing showing which awards category the programme was entered in, used in an argument about its genre.
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NICE guideline NG87, recommendation 1.5.13
UK clinical guideline point recommending changes to a person’s environment be tried before medication is considered.
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PsyPost, Psychology Today and BBC News coverage of the research findings.
Popular press coverage of the underlying studies, cited to show how the findings were reported to the public.
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Kentrou, V., Livingston, L. A., Grove, R., et al. (2024). Perceived misdiagnosis of psychiatric conditions in autistic adults. EClinicalMedicine.
Study of autistic adults who were first given psychiatric diagnoses they considered mistaken, including differences by gender.
Cited in: Everyone Gets Autism Levels Wrong -
Rutgers University. "Internship Helps High School Senior Rethink What Autism Diagnostics Should Do".
University news item about the student behind the retinal AI project, describing the work more cautiously than the press did.
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Love on the Spectrum (Netflix), Season 3, Episode 5.
Episode cited for a specific scene discussed in the video, Madison’s "Princess Ariel" moment.
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Love on the Spectrum (Netflix), Season 3, Episode 7.
Episode cited for its use of reaction shots and a montage of cast "firsts".
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Love on the Spectrum (Netflix), Season 3 (various episodes).
Scenes across the season cited for cue cards, intimacy questions and on-camera parental coaching.
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Love on the Spectrum (Netflix), Season 8, Episode 1.
Episode cited when comparing the tone of the cast introductions against earlier seasons.
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Love on the Spectrum (Netflix), Season 8, Episode 14.
Reunion episode cited for cast dynamics and its comparative lack of infantilising framing.
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Baron-Cohen, S. Interview on the BBC.
Broadcast interview in which the researcher discusses whether the autism label has become too broad.
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Companies House records: Slimmr Ltd (15165634) and Altum Health Ltd (12293856)
UK company register filings for two businesses, used to trace who runs them and how they are connected.
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Slimmr terms of service and About page; drcourtneyraspin.com/the-book
A company’s own website pages and an author’s book page, cited as primary sources for their published claims.
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Society for Science. Edward Kang finalist profile, and the accompanying social media post.
Competition profile of the student project, plus the post that added an accuracy figure the profile itself never gave.
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Talk to Me Sis podcast, presented by Nicci Smith and Lise Smith.
Podcast episodes by autistic hosts, cited for first-hand commentary on the programme under discussion.
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The Guardian. Analysis of Love on the Spectrum’s shift from docuseries to reality television.
Newspaper analysis arguing the programme moved away from documentary toward reality TV conventions.
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Research on the "need for closure".
Psychology concept describing how strongly a person wants a firm answer rather than sitting with ambiguity.
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The Transmitter. Coverage of Love on the Spectrum’s parent dialogue and musical cues.
Autism research publication’s analysis of how the programme uses parent commentary and background music.
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NASA. Environmental Control and Life Support System, water recycling on the International Space Station.
NASA description of how the space station recycles water, used in the video as an analogy about contamination.
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Zhang, Y., & Warrier, V. Research on age at autism diagnosis.
Genetics research examining how the age someone is diagnosed relates to underlying genetic differences.
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Attwood & Garnett (2026). Response to Uta Frith's TES interview.
Blog response from clinicians Tony Attwood and Michelle Garnett giving their professional reaction to Uta Frith's controversial interview.
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National Autistic Society. The double empathy problem explainer.
National Autistic Society explainer of the double empathy problem: misunderstanding between autistic and non-autistic people runs in both directions, not just one.
Cited in:
Why Joe Rogan Is Wrong About Autism -
National Autistic Society. Demand avoidance (PDA) guidance.
The National Autistic Society's guidance page explaining demand avoidance and the PDA (pathological demand avoidance) profile, with advice on recognising and supporting it.
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National Autistic Society. Masking (camouflaging) autistic traits.
Guidance from the UK's National Autistic Society explaining masking, where autistic people hide or suppress their traits to fit in.
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National Autistic Society. Obsessions and intense interests guidance.
National Autistic Society guidance page on autistic people's intense interests and obsessions and how to support them.
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National Autistic Society. Stimming guide.
The UK National Autistic Society's guide explaining what stimming is and why autistic people do it.
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National Autistic Society. Anxiety guidance.
Advice page from the UK's National Autistic Society explaining anxiety in autistic people and offering practical guidance on managing it.
Cited in:
What if Autism Isn't the Problem? 🤔 -
National Autistic Society. Sensory differences guidance.
National Autistic Society guidance page describing the sensory differences autistic people experience and ways to accommodate them.
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National Autistic Society. Statement on autism "overdiagnosis" claims.
A policy statement from the UK's National Autistic Society responding to claims that autism is being overdiagnosed.
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National Autistic Society online community.
National Autistic Society page describing its online community, a forum where autistic people and their families connect and share support.
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National Autistic Society. Data on the autism employment gap.
A National Autistic Society news release reporting UK figures showing only around 22% of autistic adults are in any kind of paid employment.
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Autism Parenting Secrets podcast site.
The website of the 'Autism Parenting Secrets' podcast, a show marketed to parents of autistic children.
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Baptist News Global. Opinion on pastor Greg Locke's autism remarks.
Baptist News Global opinion piece condemning pastor Greg Locke for claiming that autism is demon possession.
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Big Think. "Classes of intelligence" essay.
Popular-science essay from Big Think discussing the idea that intelligence comes in different classes or types.
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Building Biology Institute. 5G / electromagnetic radiation course page.
A Building Biology Institute page offering a course on 5G and electromagnetic radiation.
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Business Wire press release: IntellxxDNA child health study.
A company press release announcing that IntellxxDNA's genomics product is being used in a Documenting Hope child health study.
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Development and Psychopathology study: emotional contagion in autistic children.
A study finding autistic children do pick up on other people's emotions, with responses varying by how familiar the person is and the task instructions given.
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"Developmental dyspraxia is not limited to imitation in children with autism spectrum disorders".
A neuropsychology study finding that motor-coordination difficulties (dyspraxia) in autistic children extend beyond trouble imitating other people's movements.
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CDC autism data: about 1 in 36 U.S. children identified autistic.
CDC autism data page reporting that about 1 in 36 U.S. children are identified as autistic.
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CDC MMWR (2014). ADDM autism prevalence surveillance (about 1 in 68).
CDC surveillance report (2014) from its monitoring network estimating autism prevalence at roughly 1 in 68 American eight-year-olds.
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Daniel Tammet, personal website.
Personal website of Daniel Tammet, an autistic savant and author known for extraordinary memory and calculation abilities.
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Wikipedia. Autism Science Foundation.
Wikipedia entry on the Autism Science Foundation, a nonprofit that funds and promotes autism research.
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Wikipedia. Raven's Progressive Matrices.
Wikipedia entry on Raven's Progressive Matrices, a nonverbal pattern-based test widely used to measure reasoning ability.
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NHS England. Report on autistic adults' access to mental health care.
NHS England report acknowledging that many autistic adults cannot access effective mental health care, sometimes leading to long hospital stays.
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NHS England. Health and care passports.
NHS England's official page on health and care passports, documents that tell healthcare staff about a person's needs and communication preferences.
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FDA. Proposed ban on electrical stimulation devices.
FDA announcement proposing to ban electrical stimulation devices used to shock people in order to stop self-injurious or aggressive behavior.
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GOV.UK. Personal Independence Payment (PIP): eligibility and how the benefit works.
Official guide to PIP, the benefit for the extra costs of a long-term condition, awarded on daily-living and mobility needs rather than diagnosis.
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"Sociodemographic Factors, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, and Risk of Bullying Exposure". JAMA Pediatrics.
Study in JAMA Pediatrics examining how neurodevelopmental conditions and demographic factors affect children's risk of being bullied.
Cited in: What if Autism Isn't the Problem? 🤔 -
JAMA Pediatrics (2023). Study of autistic toddlers no longer meeting diagnostic criteria at school age.
A 2023 JAMA Pediatrics study finding about 37% of toddlers diagnosed with autism no longer met diagnostic criteria by school age.
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The Jerusalem Post. Pastor removed from school board after "demonic" autism remarks.
Jerusalem Post news report on a pastor removed from a school board after describing autism as demonic.
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LinkedIn page: MDPI Journal of Personalized Medicine.
The LinkedIn company page for MDPI's Journal of Personalized Medicine, showing how the journal presents itself publicly.
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Taleb, N.N. "IQ is largely a pseudoscientific swindle". Medium.
Essay by Nassim Nicholas Taleb arguing that IQ is a pseudoscientific measure with little real-world validity.
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Mencap. What is a learning disability?
Plain-English guide from the UK charity Mencap explaining what a learning disability is and how it affects daily life.
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NCBI Bookshelf chapter on trauma risk in autistic people.
Book chapter reviewing evidence that autistic people face higher risk of trauma, why it often goes unrecognised, and adapted treatments.
Cited in: What if Autism Isn't the Problem? 🤔 -
Baron-Cohen et al. (2003). The Systemizing Quotient.
A 2003 study by Simon Baron-Cohen's team introducing the Systemizing Quotient, finding autistic adults show an unusually strong drive to analyse and build systems.
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Behavioral Sciences (2015). How homosexuality was removed from the DSM.
History article in Behavioral Sciences (2015) recounting how science and activism led psychiatry to remove homosexuality from the DSM in 1973.
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Miscited link: 2011 blood-group genetics study (appears unrelated).
The link leads to a 2011 laboratory study on blood-group genetics in Brazilian blood donors, seemingly unrelated to the video's topic.
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"Avoiding Ableist Language: Suggestions for Autism Researchers".
A journal article offering autism researchers practical suggestions for replacing ableist language with more respectful wording.
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Netflix. Down for Love.
Netflix's official page for Down for Love, another reality dating series cited for comparison with Love on the Spectrum.
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Netflix Tudum. Interview with co-creators Cian O'Clery and Karina Holden.
Netflix Tudum interview with Cian O'Clery and Karina Holden, the co-creators of Love on the Spectrum, about making the show.
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Netflix Tudum. Love on the Spectrum, Season 4 official page.
Netflix's official Tudum promotional page for Love on the Spectrum Season 4, covering its release date and cast announcements.
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Neurodiversity Hub.
Website of the Neurodiversity Hub, an initiative providing resources to support neurodivergent students and job-seekers.
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NHS. "What is autism?".
The UK National Health Service's plain-language introduction explaining what autism is and what it means for daily life.
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NHS. Developmental coordination disorder (dyspraxia) overview.
The UK National Health Service's plain-language overview of developmental coordination disorder, also known as dyspraxia.
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National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Digital technologies for assessing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Health technology guidance HTG729.
NICE guidance on digital tools for ADHD assessment, supporting QbTest for 6 to 17-year-olds only alongside a standard clinical assessment.
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Predictors of mortality in autism over a 20-year period.
A peer-reviewed study tracking autistic people over 20 years to identify factors that predicted higher mortality.
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Study: self-reported decision-making difficulties in autistic people.
Peer-reviewed study exploring why autistic people say they find decision-making difficult and which situations cause the most trouble.
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"Anxiety Disorders in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Population-Based Study".
Population-based study examining how frequently anxiety disorders occur among autistic adults.
Cited in: What if Autism Isn't the Problem? 🤔 -
Survey study: healthcare quality and health outcomes in autistic adults.
Peer-reviewed survey study finding autistic adults report markedly poorer-quality healthcare and worse health than non-autistic adults.
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Mixed-methods study of autistic adults' sensory experiences (2021).
A 2021 mixed-methods study of autistic adults' own descriptions of sensory experiences, finding sensory differences were near-universal and shaped health and wellbeing.
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PressPeaK. "Diagnosis or Dating Appeal?".
PressPeaK commentary piece titled 'Diagnosis Or Dating Appeal?' discussing how autism is presented in the dating world.
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Starr, R.J. Blog review of loneliness and neuroimaging research (profrjstarr.com).
Blog post by Professor R.J. Starr reviewing brain-imaging research on loneliness.
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American Psychiatric Association. What is narcissistic personality disorder?
An American Psychiatric Association blog post explaining what narcissistic personality disorder is and how it is diagnosed.
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American Psychiatric Association. What is intellectual disability?
American Psychiatric Association information page defining intellectual disability and explaining how it is diagnosed.
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Newson (2003). Pathological demand avoidance as a proposed syndrome.
Elizabeth Newson's influential 2003 paper proposing pathological demand avoidance (PDA) as a distinct condition, based on her case series of children.
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"Co-occurrence of motor problems and autistic symptoms in ADHD".
A study reporting that motor problems and autistic traits often occur together in children with ADHD; the bibliography flags its problematic wording.
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Forum-post analysis study of autistic and neurotypical experiences (2012).
A 2012 study analysing internet forum posts to compare how autistic and neurotypical people experience and talk about their special interests and hobbies.
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Molecular Autism study: dyspraxia and autistic traits in adults.
A Molecular Autism study examining dyspraxia in adults and how it relates to autistic traits.
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Modelling study: pathways from ADHD traits to autistic-like social difficulties (2017).
A 2017 statistical modelling study identifying distinct pathways linking ADHD traits like impulsivity and inattention to autistic social differences, helping explain why the conditions overlap.
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Ten-year follow-up: autistic traits in young people with ADHD and later mental health (2019).
A ten-year follow-up study finding that autistic traits in young people with ADHD predicted greater mental health difficulties and poorer social, educational, and cognitive outcomes.
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"Masking Is Life": survey study of masking experiences (2023).
A survey study titled 'Masking Is Life' comparing experiences of masking among autistic, otherwise-neurodivergent, and neurotypical adults.
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"The meltdown pathway": study of how autistic meltdowns build and unfold.
A recent peer-reviewed study examining how autistic meltdowns build and unfold, described in the video as the meltdown pathway.
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McEwen & Stellar (1993). Stress and the individual: mechanisms leading to disease. Archives of Internal Medicine.
A foundational medical paper describing how the body's stress responses, when pushed into overload, can lead to the development of disease.
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Pulse. NHS heavily dependent on private ADHD providers, with a 252% increase in spending. Reporting research by the Centre for Health and the Public Interest (CHPI).
Report on think tank research finding NHS spending on private ADHD providers rose by about 252% in three years.
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Reddit, r/AmIOverreacting. "AIO: My girlfriend is pretending to be autistic".
Reddit discussion thread in which a poster asks whether they are overreacting to believing their girlfriend is pretending to be autistic.
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Reddit AITA thread: making a daughter give up her stuffed toy.
A Reddit 'Am I the Asshole' thread from a parent questioned over making their daughter part with her stuffed toy.
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Reddit AITA thread: throwing away a girlfriend's comfort blanket.
A Reddit 'Am I the Asshole' thread about someone who threw away their girlfriend's blanket, a cherished comfort object.
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Reddit AITA thread: throwing away an autistic best friend's belongings.
A Reddit 'Am I the Asshole' thread in which someone asks whether throwing away their autistic best friend's belongings was wrong.
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Reddit, r/autism community.
A large Reddit community where autistic people and their families share experiences, questions, and support; not a research source.
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Reddit, r/evilautism community.
The r/evilautism subreddit, an irreverent online community where autistic people joke about and embrace autistic experiences.
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Reframing Autism. "Coming home to yourself" resource for newly-identified autistic adults.
A supportive resource from Australian charity Reframing Autism for adults processing a new autism diagnosis or self-identification.
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Ofsted. Inspection report for Werneth School, Stockport.
Official Ofsted inspection report page for Werneth School, the Stockport secondary school discussed in the video.
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ResearchGate figure: AQ score distributions across four groups.
ResearchGate figure showing how Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) questionnaire scores are distributed across four groups of males and females.
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Research paper on visual supports for young autistic children.
Research paper on using visual supports, such as pictures and schedules, to help young autistic children communicate and understand routines.
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Research paper: verbal and nonverbal correlates of the five flirting styles.
A research paper identifying how each of five distinct flirting styles shows up in people's words and body language.
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Rotten Tomatoes. Love on the Spectrum US, Season 4.
Rotten Tomatoes page collecting critic and audience ratings for Season 4 of Love on the Spectrum US.
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Salt&Light. "Each person is a perfect gift from God".
Christian outlet Salt&Light's profile of a Bethel Church healing pastor and father of a disabled daughter who calls every person a perfect gift from God.
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Personality and Individual Differences (2018). Autistic traits, theory of mind and interpreting flirting.
A 2018 study in Personality and Individual Differences examining how autistic traits and theory of mind relate to judging inappropriate flirting or courtship.
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Interview study of autistic teenage girls' social coping strategies (2016).
A 2016 interview study of autistic teenage girls describing the social coping strategies, including masking, they use to fit in.
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Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders (2016): autism and ADHD co-occurrence.
A 2016 study in Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders examining how commonly children diagnosed with autism also have ADHD.
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Study of gender differences in parent-reported age at autism diagnosis.
Peer-reviewed study using parent reports to examine whether autistic girls are diagnosed at different ages than boys.
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Scope. The social model of disability.
UK disability charity Scope's explainer of the social model of disability: people are disabled by barriers in society, not by their differences.
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SimplyPsychology. Gardner's multiple intelligences.
SimplyPsychology explainer of Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences theory, the idea that intelligence comes in several distinct forms rather than one.
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U.S. Department of Education. IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).
Official U.S. Department of Education site for IDEA, the federal law guaranteeing special-education services to children with disabilities.
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Explore the Manx Crosses in 3D.
Manx National Heritage's Sketchfab page offering interactive 3D models of the historic Manx Crosses from the Isle of Man.
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SPARK. Autism and LGBTQ+ identity overview.
A plain-language article from the SPARK autism research project summarising evidence that autistic people are considerably more likely than non-autistic people to identify as LGBTQ.
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Franklin, S. (2026). "Why Uta Frith is wrong about girls and autism". TES.
TES analysis piece by Dr Sue Franklin arguing that Uta Frith is wrong about girls and autism.
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The Conversation (Almond, P.C.). The Vatican's new rules on miracles.
The Conversation article by religion scholar Philip C. Almond explaining the Vatican's stricter new rules for judging claimed miracles and supernatural events.
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The Decision Lab. Heuristics explainer.
Plain-language explainer from The Decision Lab on heuristics, the mental shortcuts people use to make quick decisions.
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DePaul Law Review. IQ testing, eugenics, and intellectual disability law.
DePaul Law Review article tracing IQ testing's origins in the eugenics movement and its implications for intellectual-disability court cases.
Built automatically from the reference lists in each video's description. Spotted an error or a missing source? Let us know.