Opinion: Science editor-in-chief Holden Thorp’s advice for other scientists with autism
“Building a much better scientific enterprise means embracing the idea of collaboration across all aspects of neurodiversity,” writes Science editor-in-chief Holden Thorp, who was diagnosed with autism at 53.
I was the “different” kid. I had intense interests that I went on monologues about, I missed social cues, and I checked out of conversations to stare at the wall while my mind wandered. Later, when my kids were small, they used to wonder why I watched the television without turning it on.
But it wasn’t until I was 53 that I was officially diagnosed with autism. Increased rates of autism diagnosis — now 1 out of 36 children in the U.S. — are due to a redefinition of the autism spectrum and a welcome recognition that autism has been underdiagnosed and underaccommodated.
