Autistic Inertia

 I have a new article out in APS Observer

https://www.psychologicalscience.org/publications/observer/student-notebook-autistic-inertia-srinivasan.html

Brilliant and helpful article by Hari Srinivasan, an academic researcher and expert by experience. Thank you for broadening our knowledge, Hari!!

Highly informative article, Hari. I wish I had encountered this as a resource many years ago. Thank you for publishing it.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/giving-voice/202410/how-reasonable-are-reasonable-accommodations-at-work

The fear of retaliation or further marginalization discourages many autistics from seeking the accommodations they desperately need.

 

 "There’s a danger in misunderstanding and misrepresenting the autistic community, with interventions possibly imposing neurotypical standards of happiness that feel inauthentic or unrelatable. We must ensure that positive psychology reflects the true diversity of autistic experiences and does not oversimplify our needs." - Hari Srinivasan

Read on... https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/aut.2024.38246.pw

New Paper Alert - Anxiety in Autism

 https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1177/25739581251366856

Beyond Common Reassurances of "Its OK" - The Reality of Anxiety in Autism

"For many autistics, anxiety isn’t just an occasional system alert—it’s a back-
ground process running at max capacity, constantly consuming resources, leading to overheating, and at times, triggering a full system shutdown (meltdown)... Instead of expecting autistics alone to constantly overclock their processing power just to function, we need a fundamental shift in the
base model’s architecture itself."

This article really resonated with me — it captures Autistic anxiety authentically, holistically, and compassionately. I’d highly recommend reading it (if you have access to Autism in Adulthood).

It underlines why schools so often generate anxiety for Autistic children: they function as an intensified microcosm of society, inherently anxiety-evoking in their structures and demands.

Languages carry with them differing ways of conceptualizing ideas, emotions, and social interactions

Read Full Article at unesco.org...

 

 

 

 Excerpts from the Foreword, I got to co-write with Dr Temple Grandin.

Read at https://time.com/6551520/loneliness-autism-essay/ 

"Relentlessly pursuing a disabled person’s greatest sign of 'success'- independence-might be the very thing that’s setting many autistics on a path towards profound loneliness"

@HariSri108, #PublicVoices Fellow with @TheOpEdProject & @PDSoros (via @TIME)

My other list of Publications: https://uniquelyhari.blogspot.com/p/published-work.html

 

 

 

 

Neurodiversity 2.0 - Harnessing Cross-Disciplinary Insights

EXCITING NEWS - NEW PAPER OUT. 

Neurodiversity 2.0. Harnessing Cross-Disability Insights

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reia.2025.202652

Feedback: 

In a word, Hari, this is EXCEPTIONAL. You are at the forefront of the stigma and neurodiversity fields--and this will be an incredibly valuable resource for MANY MANY people for years to come.

Hari Srinivasan this is brilliant!!! Thank you for your work - your framework will lay the foundation for the much needed change!

Hari, Congratulations on your Neurodiversity 2.0 article in Research in Autism. I just finished reading it. You do a great job and explaining the neurodiversity movement and point an achievable way forward. 

I very much appreciated this paper, and I am sure I will draw upon it often in the future. I especially appreciated your centering of interdependence as an orientation to work towards instead of this idea of independence. This is a value I draw from frequently within my clinical work as an autistic psychologist who works primarily with autistic college students. We've long recognized the therapeutic alliance as a key agent of change in therapy, yet we often center individualism as a goal of therapy. Yet, any level of support need indicates a need for community and connection. Thanks for the work you are doing!

As someone currently spending a lot of time reflecting on language and terminology related to autism and neurodiversity for work at the moment, this paper could not have come at a better time.
Oh how I love a cross-disciplinary approach!

Excellent open access paper from Hari Srinivasan, recognising the importance of integrating the social and medical models of disability and going beyond the focus on individual and instead considering the systems and their interdependence. Brings back memories of Positive Psychology 2.0, which similarly in its "rebrand" embraced the opposite (negative emotions) to form a richer framework.

"To truly evolve, Neurodiversity 2.0 must embrace both opportunities and solutions—creating systems that recognize strengths while actively seeking solutions to address challenges that block access. Inclusion is not just about opening doors; it is about ensuring every individual has the tools to cross the threshold, navigate what’s beyond, and thrive."

I have been privileged to be in meetings and in committees with Hari. Hari just blows me out of the water every time. The capabilities but even more, the poetic, deep soulful thoughts that many of us “NNDs” non-neurodivergent individuals aren’t even capable of having!

I just want to say I’ve been skimming this today while internally grappling with the latest autism discourse. I am really excited to dive into this in greater depth. You are articulating a lot of tensions I’ve been thinking about and I am grateful for your work.

Caught Between Tears and Stoicism

Autistics are often criticized for being too unexpressive or showing the wrong emotions...But when someone openly shows emotion, it’s suddenly inappropriate. Society can’t have it both ways—criticizing us for showing too little emotion and then too much.

Read Full Article at

 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/giving-voice/202409/caught-between-tears-and-stoicism

 

 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.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e87-3xydg58