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Shifting the Paradigm featuring Jennifer Brunton

“Seek information led by autistic voices. We are scientists, writers, teachers, and we are here.” Jennifer Brunton  In this episode, I’m joined by Jennifer Brunton, autism and neurodivergence expert, author, activist, advocate, and keynote speaker, for a deeply human conversation about language, identity, and what it truly means to build a more inclusive world. We explore how the way we talk about autism shapes everything from diagnosis to belonging, and why shifting the narrative away from fear, deficit, and “fixing” is not just necessary, but urgent. Jennifer introduces the social model of disability, reframing it not as something wrong with an individual, but as something created, or alleviated, by culture, systems, and environments. Our conversation moves through her books, practical, autistic-led handbooks on advocacy and independence, and the radical power of centering autistic voices. We discuss libraries as sanctuaries, the myth of independence versus the reality of interdependence, and why adjustments are not “special treatment” but part of how society already works. Jennifer also shares deeply personal reflections on navigating diagnosis within families, raising neurodivergent children, confronting stigma in professional spaces, and what gives her hope for the future, particularly the role of younger generations and online communities in fostering connectedness and pride. We close by looking ahead to her forthcoming book, What Sustains You, a collection of comfort, wisdom, and grounding practices created by and for autistic people, a powerful reminder that sustenance, like humanity itself, takes many forms. Biography  ⁠Jennifer Brunton, Ph.D.⁠ is the co-author, with Jenna Gensic, M.A., of ⁠The #ActuallyAutistic Guide to Advocacy: Step-by-Step Advice on How to Ally and Speak Up with Autistic People and the Autism Community⁠ and ⁠The #ActuallyAutistic Guide to Building Independence: A Handbook for Teens, Young Adults, and Those Who Care About Them⁠. Every topic in ⁠these empowering, affirming books⁠ was chosen, shaped, and informed by perspectives and insights from more than 100 #ActuallyAutistic people. Brunton ⁠consults around neurodiversity inclusion⁠, and regularly gives ⁠keynotes and other talks, workshops, and classes⁠, based on these books.  Brunton holds a doctorate in sociology from Columbia University. At Columbia, she was a fellow throughout her many years of graduate school based on the quality of her academic work but struggled to navigate departmental dynamics. She decided early on that she wanted to be a community college professor, both to teach underserved students and to be in a presumably less difficult environment.  She then spent 10 years teaching ethics, bioethics, religion, and philosophy at the Community College of Vermont, while working as a freelance editor on Fulbright proposals and academic books. In 2016, she pivoted to full-time editing and writing.  Jennifer has written and edited for some of the most distinguished names in publishing, including Content Innovo, Guidehouse, Forbes, Random House, and Mirabella. She collaborated with Carlos Davidovich, M.D. on ⁠Five-Brain Leadership: How Neuroscience Can Help You Understand Your Team, Master Your Instincts, and Become a Better Leader⁠. She has also owned her own yoga centers and real estate company, and wrote a literary mystery under a pen name. In her free time, she loves to paint, hike, and practice yoga.  The Autistic parent of an Autistic son and a Neurotypical daughter, Jennifer is passionate about making the world a better place for people who think, learn, and experience life in unique ways. Her parenting blog, ⁠Full Spectrum Mama⁠, has been advancing civil rights for all—with a focus on neurodiversity and intersectionality—for more than 10 years.