Tennessee Voices, Episode 259: T.A.M. McDonald, neurology researcher, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Autism has traditionally been studied from a medical perspective.
Yet newer, and sometimes controversial, approaches to research are taking a new look at the autism spectrum, namely, the neurodiversity perspective.
That is, shifting the "disorder" narrative that focuses on the limitations of someone with autism to looking at autism as a "valid way of being."
This is at the heart of the work of Vanderbilt University Medical Center neurology researcher Dr. T.A.M. McDonald, who is my guest on this episode of the Tennessee Voices podcast.
We spoke about how, for decades, research ignored the strengths of people living with autism.
Her own family's experience with autism led her to go from pursuing her G.E.D to earning her Ph.D. and delving into this field.
McDonald said autism research is now at a crossroads and compared the traditional research to her emphasis on neurodiversity.
A dictionary definition of neurodivergent is: "differing in mental or neurological function from what is considered typical or normal (frequently used with reference to autistic spectrum disorders); not neurotypical."
This has often led to the marginalization or institutionalization of people on the autism spectrum, but she said there is another way.
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The Tennessee Voices videocast is a 20-minute program, which started in March 2020 and invites leaders, thinkers and innovators who have written guest columns for a USA TODAY Network Tennessee publication to share their insights and wisdom with me and our viewers.
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David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee and an editorial board member of The Tennessean. Tweet to him at @davidplazas.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Voices: Autism from neurodiversity view with T.A.M. McDonald
