Brilliant Brains: Understanding Neurodivergence

Neurodiversity is becoming a more commonly used phrase to describe the variations in the human brain that lead to different ways of thinking. Neurodiversity includes neurotypical people (people whose way of thinking and behaving is the assumed norm) and neurodivergent people (people whose way of thinking and behaving differs from the assumed norm, like autistic people). In this talk I will discuss where the idea of neurodiversity has come from, and how it is changing the way we think about different kinds of minds.

Autism has been discussed for 100 years, and in the public imagination for the last 40. Attitudes towards autistic people are negative, and this has very real consequences for them! The way we talk about autism is political, social and cultural; the way that we understand it is shaped by exposure to the press and research, but not all information is equal. I have spent the last 10 years of my life asking and answering the question: “What makes us form bad attitudes towards autistic people? Why does it matter and how can we fix it?” and this is my crash course

What happens when the pressure to fit in feels endless? For bisexual autistic individuals, masking—hiding natural behaviours to meet social expectations—often becomes second nature, but at a cost, such as anxiety and depression. My research dives into this intersection, exploring how societal stigma and shifting expectations across queer and heterosexual spaces impact mental health and relationships. Drawing on interviews with bisexual autistic participants, I’ll share their stories, shedding light on their struggles and discussing strategies for more inclusive and supportive spaces.