In the final episode of Autistic Standpoint Theory, Isha Snow is joined by psychometrician, mixed-methods researcher and autistic self-advocate Scott Frasard, PhD, to explore what happens when an autistic researcher turns the tools of measurement back towards the systems attempting to measure autistic people.

Scott discusses how being autistic shapes the way he approaches research, including his ability to recognise patterns, contradictions and assumptions that others may overlook. Together, he and Isha explore psychometrics, research methodology, autistic participation in research and why lived experience matters when deciding what questions get asked in the first place.

The conversation also turns to Scott's critique of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), including the arguments behind his book Burning the Behaviorist Blueprint: Exposing and Dismantling the ABA Empire. Scott challenges approaches he believes prioritise compliance and conformity, while considering what genuinely autistic-led research and support could look like instead.

Finally, Scott introduces his idea of the “neuro-existentialist philosopher”, bringing the series back to questions of identity, autonomy and knowledge: who gets to define autistic experience, whose expertise is valued, and what becomes possible when autistic people are not simply studied, but recognised as people capable of producing knowledge about themselves?

Autistic Standpoint Theory is part of the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.

🎧 Autistic Standpoint Theory is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcastnetwork.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Autistic Standpoint Theory, Isha Snow is joined by AuDHD seminary student Willow Shirtz for a deeply personal conversation about autistic cognition, faith, identity and religious trauma.

Content note: This episode contains discussion of religious trauma, mental health, psychiatric treatment and difficult family experiences, as well as strong language.

Raised in a devout Mormon household, Willow reflects on entering missionary service with genuine belief and the experiences that eventually forced them to question both their faith and the expectations placed upon them. They discuss what it means to process belief, morality and contradiction through an autistic lens — particularly when the systems around you demand certainty and conformity.

Their conversation moves through missionary life, mental health, psychiatric treatment, family relationships, sexuality and gender, as Willow describes the difficult process of dismantling an inherited worldview and rebuilding a life beyond it.

Now identifying as an atheist while preparing for Unitarian Universalist ministry, Willow's story raises a bigger question at the heart of the series: when a system you were taught to trust stops making sense, what can your own way of knowing help you build in its place?

Autistic Standpoint Theory is part of the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.

🎧 Autistic Standpoint Theory is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcastnetwork.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Autistic Standpoint Theory, Isha Snow is joined by autistic advocate and technology professional Sam Farmer to explore what happens when autistic people are expected to navigate systems built around different ways of communicating, learning and relating to the world.

Drawing on Sam's career in technology and his experience as an autistic self-advocate, they discuss neurodiversity-affirming support, accommodations and the importance of involving autistic people in the development of tools and services intended for their community.

Together, Isha and Sam consider the enormous diversity within autism, why support needs aren't always visible, and whether some of what is described as autistic deficit might instead emerge from a mismatch between autistic people and the environments around them.

The conversation also turns to empathy, advocacy and Sam's opposition to aversive interventions, asking what our institutions could look like if autistic knowledge was treated as expertise rather than an afterthought.

Autistic Standpoint Theory is part of the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.

🎧 Autistic Standpoint Theory is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcastnetwork.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.