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‘I am not a broken version of normal’ — autistic people argue for a stronger voice in research

Despite broader acceptance of neurodiversity, autistic advocates and scientists are still fighting for a chance to set clinical and scientific priorities.
  1. Emiliano Rodríguez Mega

    1. Emiliano Rodríguez Mega is a freelance journalist in Mexico City.

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Portrait of Yadira Garcia Rojas with her daughter Luna.

Yadira García Rojas joined a global coalition to help shape the research agenda on autism. Credit: Marian Carrasquero for Nature

In 2019, after finding out that her toddler, Luna, was autistic, Yadira García Rojas became fixated on the condition. She would spend her days reading websites and academic papers, trying to learn whatever she could to help her daughter, who doesn’t speak and needs full-time care and support.

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Nature 617, 238-241 (2023)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-01549-1

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