Thoughts on the role of editors, journalists, publishers on fostering broader societal inclusivity
1. Irresponsible reporting: I absolutely am irritated by articles that to try to stir up old controversies or conspiracy theories trying to malign/discredit the most marginalized autistics, while pretending to be their champion. Its hypocritical and magazines should not be printing this stuff. In what way is this helping us. It's such a total waste of airtime, because the eye on the ball should move forward, towards progress and solutions so the marginalized can move forward.
2. Understanding 'Evidence-Based' in the context of Autism Heterogeneity: Blindly reporting that something is evidence based for autism is not helpful because practitioners and educators literally take that at face value, and do a blanket application for ALL of autism. In reality evidence based only applies to a small profile (discussed in my recent Time magazine article), which means Evidence Based Interventions have to be taken with spoonfuls of salt for the rest of autism.
Ergo, if "evidence based" does not work for an autistic, it's not the fault of the autistic for not progressing, it's a failure of research that has not found solutions for them.
Because the consequence for the autistic who does not improve with this evidence based stuff is extreme. They are basically written off and kept in special programs and group homes. And then we complain that this group is eating up resources and asking for attention.
3. Media needs to call out the Utter Lack of Action: An example is that GI issues were being discussed when I was diagnosed two and half decades ago. Earlier this year, there was an article which made it seem linking GI and autism was a brand new discovery. The sad part is that because there has been no movement in finding explanations and solutions on this front for two and half decades, it looks like it's a brand new issue when it's not.
4. Including a call to action. One magazine told me that I should not be including a call to action. Which kind of seemed counterintuitive because then these disability stories primarily become objects of pity and sympathy or inspiration porn. While this may increase readership, they don’t do anything to help us. We want the story to generate action because action is the actual impact.
"Dr. Grandin and I were shaped by different worlds—she grew up in a time when autism was little known and with zero communities. I grew up in an era where autism increasingly became an everyday word. Despite progress, our knowledge of autism remains incomplete. Solutions must span the entire spectrum and lifespan. " - Hari Srinivasan
I got to co-write the Foreword for this book with Dr Temple Grandin.
"I’m awestruck to co-author the foreword with Dr. Temple Grandin, a trailblazer who shattered expectations and paved the way for many, including myself. Now, on my PhD journey in Neuroscience, I’m walking a path that once felt unimaginable—it’s surreal." - Hari Srinivasan
Book release is May 6 and is available online or at your favorite bookstore.
Targeted interventions for autism don't need creation of more new labels.
The issues that need help, were present there before the label creation and still exist years after the label.
In another 5-10 years, another new catchy trademarked label will appear
My Ted X talk titled "Pebbles in the Pond of Change
Hari Srinivasan, shares a powerful message about the power of small actions in creating ever-widening ripples in the pond of change. Drawing from personal experiences and the legacy of disability rights leaders, he redefines progress as a journey that starts with simple, accessible steps. His inspiring message encourages everyone to identify and act on their own "small pebbles" to drive societal transformation.
Dear Hari Srinivasan,
Congratulations! You are a 2025 recipient of the Career Luminary Award.
Your outstanding contributions to career empowerment within our university community have not gone unnoticed, and we are thrilled to honor your dedication and excellence. These awards are incredibly special,
Career Luminary Award (Current PhD Student): This award celebrates a graduate student who has shown exceptional dedication to career development within their academic program and has made a significant impact on career-related initiatives.
🎓 What’s Peer Review?
Before a research paper gets published in a scientific journal, they’re sent to 2-3 other experts in the same field (🧠 like me now!) to read and give detailed feedback. It’s not just saying a simple yes or no. As a reviewer, you're expected to check if the research question is meaningful, evaluate whether the methods and data are sound, identify missing info or unclear sections, suggest improvements, flag any ethical / technical concerns and recommend whether it should be accepted, revised, or rejected. The goal is to make sure the science is solid before it becomes part of the official literature. The goal is to check for quality, accuracy, and whether the work adds something new to the field. It’s kind of like a report card for a research paper, by people who understand the topic.
"There is very valuable insight that can be derived from the disability justice principles of Sins Invalid. This insight is that if we find solutions for the most marginalized members of a group, the entire group benefits. Just like elevators to help wheelchair users ended up benefiting everyone. " - Hari Srinivasan
Article in "Inside Higher Ed" in Frist Center for Autism and Innovation
‘Highest Levels of Research’
Hari Srinivasan, an advocate for autistic people, neuroscience Ph.D. student and NISE program fellow, told Inside Higher Ed in an email that the revocation of the NSF funding could have ripple effects on the overall perception of autistic people, as well as on research into their experiences.
“When you cut off the funds, autism gets less visibility, which means opportunities are less, which will slow the work we’ve done towards progress and solutions,” wrote Srinivasan. “[It] also means less research in autism space. And ultimately research findings is what influences funding priorities, who get access to what spaces, who gets access to what resources, and it is research findings that lead us to solutions.”
Srinivasan, who describes himself as having limited spoken language ability, said he’d been interested in neuroscience since he was a middle schooler and became fascinated by illustrations of the nervous system in textbooks owned by his aunt and uncle, who are doctors. But his experiences with special education classes in elementary and middle school—which he described as being “like kindergarten on repeat year after year”—left him unsure if he would be able to pursue his dreams of becoming a neuroscientist.
Luckily, his experiences at a charter high school that allowed him to take more advanced courses and at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned his undergraduate degree, continued to set him up for success: Stassun personally recruited him to Vanderbilt. Now he is researching how autistic people “perceive and interact with the space immediately around their bodies, known as peripersonal space,” he told Inside Higher Ed. He hopes to transform his research into practical solutions “that can help autistics better navigate their spatial and social environment.”
Dear Graduate Students,
As we kick off national Graduate Student Appreciation Week, I want to be the first to tell you how grateful we here in the BRET Office are that you are part of our Vanderbilt community. We thank you for the contributions you have made and are making to the progress of science. Your effort and perspectives are important to our faculty, staff, postdocs, and your fellow grad students.
Your hard work, dedication, and resilience are critical elements for our pushing the frontiers of biomedical research, and it is privilege for us to help you along the way.
On behalf of all of my BRET Office colleagues …. thank you for all of your contributions.
Walter J. Chazin, PhD
Chancellor’s Chair in Medicine
Departments of Biochemistry and Chemistry
Senior Associate Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Education
and Training, School of Medicine Basic Sciences
Director, Molecular Biophysics Training Program
Founding Director, Center for Structural Biology
Exciting News from our Lab!
We're proud to share that two of our talented third-year PhD candidates in Neuroscience, William Quackenbush and
Hari Srinivasan, recently presented their research at the Vanderbilt Brain Institute's Neuroscience Graduate Program Research Forum!
This was their first time presenting at the forum, and both talks were incredibly well received.
Coinciding with Autism Month of April, Hari Srinivasan presented his research on: "Virtual Bubbles, Real Insights: Investigating Peripersonal Space (PPS) in Autism." Hari's work explores how autistics process the space around their bodies, offering a novel perspective on sensory-motor integration.
In March, William Quackenbush presented his research on: "Regulating Rhythms: Elucidating Brain-Behavior Relationships of Motor Stereotypies Across Sensory Landscapes." His work focuses on motor stereotypies (or stimming) in autism, aiming to understand the sensory and motor dynamics that shape these behaviors.
Both William and Hari are co-mentored by Prof. Mark Wallace at Vanderbilt and Prof. Carissa Cascio (now at the University of Kansas, Lawrence). They are also NISE Fellows (Neurodiversity Inspired Science & Engineering Fellows) at the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, reflecting their commitment to advancing autism research through innovative and interdisciplinary approaches.
It’s exciting to see these promising areas of research being presented at the forum! Congratulations to both William and Hari on their well-received presentations!
My Ted X talk titled "Pebbles in the Pond of Change
Hari Srinivasan, shares a powerful message about the power of small actions in creating ever-widening ripples in the pond of change. Drawing from personal experiences and the legacy of disability rights leaders, he redefines progress as a journey that starts with simple, accessible steps. His inspiring message encourages everyone to identify and act on their own "small pebbles" to drive societal transformation.
Temporal ventriloquism refers to the brain's ability to synchronize slightly misaligned visual and auditory inputs, which may work differently in autism, leading to challenges in processing multisensory information.
PlainSpeak. In Plain Language for the Lay Reader
Temporal ventriloquism is when the brain adjusts sounds and visuals that don’t match up perfectly, making them seem like they happen together. In autism, this process might work differently, which can make it harder to handle mixed sensory information.
"For some autistics, we can step right into the application of positive psychology. For others, we need to be working on challenge-based solutions at the same time. It’s not a binary, either/or situation where you do one at the expense of the other." - Hari Srinivasan
Read here to learn more about me. My graduate research investigates peripersonal space (PPS) in autism, exploring how differences in sensory-motor integration impact spatial perception and interaction. PPS is the immediate space around our body—like a flexible, invisible bubble—where we perceive actions as directly affecting us. It serves as a critical sensorimotor interface, shaping how autistics navigate our social and spatial environments. Understanding PPS dynamics in autism has broad implications across education, employment, and daily living skills.
I employ behavioral, physiological, and neurological measures using immersive technology like VR, AR, and motion tracking to study these processes in a dynamic, real-world-like environment. My approach prioritizes ecological validity, simplicity, and participant comfort, so that a wide profile of autistics can participate in research — capturing a more comprehensive understanding of sensory-motor differences that span the spectrum of autism.
Ultimately, my work aims to bridge the gap between basic neuroscience and applied interventions, informing strategies that can help autistics navigate their sensory environments more effectively. I will also be looking to developing tailored intervention(s) based on PPS insights. As both a researcher and an autistic with ADHD, I am deeply committed to research that not only advances scientific understanding but also has practical real world applications and solutions.
