An expert roundtable discussion on experiences of autistic autism researchers

Historically, few autism researchers have been openly autistic. Indeed, the institutions, practices, and culture of autism research have largely been shaped by nonautistic people. Insofar as nonautistic people may struggle to understand autistic perspectives and communicate effectively with autistic people, as suggested by the concept of the double empathy problem1 and by empirical research,2–4 this could have serious repercussions for the quality and relevance of autism research. Fortunately, a growing number of openly autistic scholars have begun to make their presence known in the autism field.5 For example, autistic researchers are visible in the Participatory Autism Research Collective, in the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Autistic Researchers Committee, in social media groups for autistic researchers, and via the #AutisticsinAcademia hashtag, and through numerous other initiatives and organizations, including this journal. Although these autistic autism researchers might be well positioned to act as a countervailing force against the double empathy problem, being autistic in a field shaped and dominated by nonautistic people could also be a source of challenges and tensions. Unfortunately, no academic articles focusing on autistic scholars in autism research currently exist in the literature, which could impede efforts to promote the success of autistic autism researchers. This roundtable discussion provides an initial exploration of this important topic.