Get Inspired › The Qualitative Open Mic Podcast › Series 7: Neurodiversity Matters: Rewiring qualitative health research

Damian Milton on double empathy and autistic worlds

19th February 2025

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Introducing Series 7 of the Qualitative Open Mic, Neurodiversity matters: rewiring qualitative health research.

This series discusses the many ways neurodivergent perspectives can improve the quality, insights and impacts of qualitative health research, and what learnings this can provide for neurotypical and neurodivergent researchers alike. It showcases the critical role of researchers with ADHD, autism, dyspraxia and other neurodivergent experiences in shaping research and knowledge production. 

In this first episode we discuss how mainstream theories of autism have missed the mark by failing to qualitatively explore internal autistic worlds. Sohail speaks to legend among autistic autism researchers Dr Damian Milton about his formulation of this issue, the double empathy problem, and its broader implications for neurodivergent and neurotypical-led research in neurodiversity and beyond. Damian also discusses the importance of autistic-led spaces for surviving academia as an autistic academic, through the work of the Participatory Autism Research Collective.

A necklace in the shape of the infinity symbol made out of tentacles, held in someones hand
Autistic advocates have adopted the infinity figure-8 as an alternative symbol for autism to the puzzle piece, which was popularised by charities promoting a deficit view of autism.

Dr Damian Milton (he/him) is a senior lecturer at the Tizard Centre, University of Kent, who chairs the Participatory Autism Research Collective. His research is based predominantly on increasing the meaningful participation of autistic people and people with learning disabilities in the research process. He is involved in a number of projects for the Autism Education Trust and has been a consultant for the Transform Autism Education (TAE) project. He supervises qualitative work on autism in a social and cultural context, critical autism studies, participatory research and the autistic voice, autism and empathy, and educational approaches and mentoring practices.

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References and resources

The Qualitative Open Mic Podcast

Series 7: Neurodiversity Matters: Rewiring qualitative health research

Series 6: Controversies in Qualitative Research

Series 5: Making Interpretations

Series 4: Ethics in Qualitative Research

Series 3: Anti-Racist Qualitative Health Research

Series 2: Qualitative Conundrums

Series 1: What Counts as Qualitative Research?

Other podcasts

QUAHRC Methods Podcast

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