The Tweet That Rocked The Neurodiversity Boat

What a couple of weeks it’s been. If you follow online mindbody discourse, you may already be aware of the now deleted transphobic (and racist, ableist, misogynist and classist) tweets by Australian sociologist, Autism advocate and one of the originators of neurodiversity as a concept, Judy Singer.

If you are not familiar with what’s happened, you can check out my LinkedIn posts, which include screenshots of the original tweets, the ‘apology’, the rescinding of the apology and the post that was aimed at social justice bad-ass Hannah Litt, and myself, after we had attempted to call Singer in. Three days ago, an article was published where Singer reiterated her ableist and supremacist views and dismissively asserted that ‘Autism is trendy now’.

I was not shocked to find out that Singer is transphobic, nor at the other aspects of bigotry she displayed. I was surprised, from a PR point of view, to see such a bold attack on Trans people when many of us are also Autistic, and many of whom were avid supporters of Singer (including those who have campaigned to get her more recognition and compensation for her early work in Autism advocacy and as a Neurodiversity elder) and will have been completely alienated by this.

In the aftermath I saw many, mainly white or white passing, colleagues in the space express their surprise, shock, sense of betrayal. Others sought to distance themselves from Singer, dismissing her as transphobic and so not worth their time. While I empathise with the former and support people protecting themselves from harm, there is an opportunity to reflect on our own beliefs and behaviours here that is essential if we wish to decolonise our mindbodies and our realities - so that’s what I’m going to focus on today. Let’s start with the signs - I stated publicly that ‘the signs have always been there’, and Singer, before deleting her LinkedIn account, replied saying - ‘please quote these signs precisely, if you can find any, if you can’t it’s slander’. Receipts have been demanded and given it is where the opportunity for reflection and learning lies, on this occasion, I shall oblige.

In her 1998 thesis, Singer stated that when she used the word Autistic, she was only referring to ‘high functioning’ Autistics or those with Aspergers. She equated ‘high functioning’ with ‘normal to high intelligence’ and ‘low functioning’ with intellectual disabilities, something she reasserted only days ago. This framing lacks nuance and reinforces ableism, not only is intelligence (as measured by IQ testing) a eugenicist concept, but high support needs do not always correlate with intellectual disability. In 1999, Singer started ASpar, an online support group for the children of Autistic parents. The site claims to exist to support families, but many of the stories paint Autistic parents as abusers, with little to no focus on solutions or positive examples of Autistics parenting. The survey currently on the site asks if, after reading the stories, you agree that ‘Consideration should be given to AS as a potential cause of inadequate parenting’.

Racist undertones have also popped up in Singer’s behaviours. She talks a lot about her passion for ‘clean language’. I understand wanting to be clear and deliberate with language, but the flavour of her approach goes beyond wanting to create a shared understanding and smacks more of a need for control. It speaks to perfectionism and worship of the written word, both characteristics of white supremacy culture. Another recent example happened during Autism Awareness month, when Singer re-shared a post that was aiming to draw attention to the lack of Black and Global Majority representation in Autism advocacy. The post said ‘Not all Autistics are white’. Singer re-shared the post with the line ‘Not all Autistics are young either’. This kind of insidious whataboutery disguised as allyship is often missed or dismissed by low melanated people who are not actively engaged in anti-racism.

These recent tweets are not the first signs of transphobia either. Fellow pioneer in the Neurodiversity paradigm movement, Dr Nick Walker, shared that she had historically been publicly and privately misgendered by Singer.

The signs, if you knew what to look for, have always been there. If you were shocked by Singer’s recent actions, have access to whiteness and distanced yourself from her behaviour, or don’t understand the link between transphobia, racism, ableism, and all other isms - it is time to connect the white supremacy dots. This is what happens when people do not do the internal work of decolonising themselves but keep doing the external work of social justice. Unexamined colonised beliefs and a lack of healing meant that Singer felt confident publicly sharing her views and that she would not allow herself to be held to account. Instead of reflecting, she doubled down, and her supporters were quick to label call-ins, education and requests for reflection as attempts to ‘cancel’ her. If we are not healed enough to be held to account, we are undoubtedly causing harm in the spaces we inhabit long before any such unequivocal displays of bigotry as we have seen from Singer in the last couple of weeks.

Does this mean Singer’s work and contributions are not valid or helpful? No. I am grateful for much of the work Singer has done. I have learned from it. I have built on it. I am not rejecting important work because the originator has not yet decolonised their mindbody, and I will always hold space for people who want to start that journey. The more shame, guilt, and ego take over, and the more we double down (especially publicly), the harder it is to sit with and reflect on harmful behaviours. From a neuroscience perspective, every time doubling down is chosen over reflection, it strengthens those neural pathways and over time it becomes far more difficult to question the beliefs that drive these behaviours. Imagine a well worn pathway surrounded by overgrowth: the tools you need to cut through the wilderness surrounding you will need to become stronger, more effective if you want to carve out a new pathway. If you have mindbody features that interact with your nervous system, there can be additional challenges to this journey if your needs are not fully supported. My observation of this within mindbody advocacy led me to create a business using neuroscience-based frameworks to help Autistics and ADHDers who benefit from white supremacy to heal, develop their ability to take accountability and become forces for progressive change.

This is not cancellation.

This is not bullying.

This most certainly is not a ‘lynching’.

This is a sincere request for reflection, awareness, growth and accountability, in all of us.

And Judy, if you’re reading, I would welcome you as a client.

— AJ

Today’s Neuro-Embodiment Prompts:

Suggestions and questions to help you engage with mindbody decolonisation:

• Were you shocked by the events discussed here? Which signs did you witness but not realise were signs? What opportunities does this present for your mindbody decolonisation?

• Did you distance yourself from Singer’s actions? What aspects of your access to whiteness might be worth examining here?

• Do you benefit from white supremacy through having low melanin, regardless of how you racially identify? If so, how do you want to support yourself to reckon with that? Could Wautistic Wayfinder, Mission Equality, or another offering help you to support yourself and show up the way you want to in the fight for mindbody liberation?