Neurodiversity in Academic Journal

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I may very well be the only person in the world who actually finds this exciting, but I thought I'd share it anyway.

In doing some research, I came across a very recent academic article in a women's studies journal which talks about autism and
neurodiversity in relation to gender and feminist theory. It quotes several well-known neurodiversity bloggers and is generally
sympathetic to the cause, though you might not get that from just the first few pages. My biggest quibble is that the author at times paints "neurodiversity advocates" with a rather broad brush. (Surely she would not do so if the subject were "feminist advocates.") Nevertheless, this article spoke really well to some of my own thoughts about autism in relation to gender. I wince whenever a "neurodiversity" person veers into extreme gender essentialism or cites "The Essential Difference" as valid research. I'm glad to see these issues discussed in an academic journal, though I think one could write several articles just about the ideas touched upon in this one. As a woman who identifies as feminist, I sometimes get frustrated when gender stereotypes come up in discussion about the spectum, and I really appreciate this attempt to discuss theconnection between the issues.

You probably need to have some kind of access to an academic databaseto read the article, but the citation is:

Bumiller, Kristin. "Quirky Citizens: Autism, Gender, and Reimagining Disability." Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 2008,vol. 33, no. 4.

Obviously this journal targets a pretty small audience, but it's good to know that our message is being treated respectfully and analyzed for it's social/political implications.

I found the article on asplanet. There is a link to it on their front information page at:

http://www.asplanet.info/

I was very pleased to read its critique of Simon Baron-Cohen's book, because, having waited impatiently to get my hands on it, I was disagreeably surprised by Cohen's sex-essentialism and simplistic/superficial presentation of both gender and autism. It seemed to me to be a book popularising a threadbare ( and out-of-date) , but media-friendly concept, which I was shocked to see coming from someone supposedly reputable etc.

Glad to see that this subject, the intersection of autism and gender, is getting some serious attention.

For instance I think that the feminist revolution of the 60's and 70's was massively fuelled by women on the spectrum to whom the dainty housewife and mother stereotype was stifling/"sickening", all the worse for a previous 50 years of increasing freedom for women.

I have felt for many years like a gay guy in a woman's body, "seeking same", when seeking at all. Motherhood was not natural or easy for me at all, and I found the transition at puberty from total tomboy to "girl" overwhelming, confusing, and alienating.

Thank you very much for drawing attention to this essay/article. It is a bit dry but very welcome. I think there are lots of AS women out there exhausted, anxious, and depressed by the fundamentally unnecessary, but socially "required", time- and energy-consuming, process of trying to "be" "women".