Replying to Uta Frith's views, one by one.

[curiousmagpie@beige.party]

@KatyElphinstone thanks - everything feels overwhelming these days. I appreciate the ways you keep us informed.

[punishmenthurts@autistics.life]

@KatyElphinstone
.
I find the "We need subtypes," idea a bit funny - we need more spectra

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

@adelinej

Oops I missed that! Going back now....

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

@adelinej

No....I think not. The link you sent was brilliant ️

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

@CuriousMagpie

Hm I think I should add to the beginning of the thread that is quite upsetting... A CW.

I probably should have done that to start with! Sorry about that

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

@adelinej

Thank you for everything

I've also added a proper content warning at the beginning of the thread now.

Thanks to the post on your page that told me how to do it

Apologies as I should've thought of that - after all, I found it upsetting

[seconduniverse@autistics.life]

@KatyElphinstone @adelinej These "theory of mind" types seem to be fighting a long bitter retreat. But they seem to be fighting it in the right wing press, as the scientific world has moved on.

[arisummerland@beige.party]

@KatyElphinstone thank you for doing this point by point. I read her article and I was incensed!

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

@arisummerland

Wasn't it awful?!

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

@SecondUniverse

True
And that's a good point.

@adelinej

[petraphoenix@beige.party]

@KatyElphinstone

Thank you for this. I was FURIOUS when I read her article. She clearly thinks that the lived experience is purely anecdotal.

I was only diagnosed 2 months ago and this sort of article will only get in the way when I tell certain family members.

[joshsusser@autistics.life]

@SecondUniverse @KatyElphinstone @adelinej Why do these highly-educated academics always get Theory of Mind wrong? ToM is not the ability to read minds. It is the awareness that other individuals have their own thoughts and perceptions that will be different from your own, not the ability to know what those are.

[seconduniverse@autistics.life]

@joshsusser @KatyElphinstone @adelinej What they actually mean is the the autistic person does not have a mind. Sure they can think but they lack the essential "puzzle piece" that would make them human.

The Theory of Mind researcher doesn't have a theory of mind about their autistic research subjects.

[zigi_now9@autistics.life]

@KatyElphinstone Prof. Uta is a disease

[staceycornelius@zeroes.ca]

@KatyElphinstone THIS.

Thank you

[gooba42@mastodon.social]

@KatyElphinstone If the population changes then the systems built to serve it must change too.

You don't change people to suit systems, you change systems to serve people. Always. Unconditionally.

How are so many people just absolutely wrong?

[panda@assemblag.es]

@CuriousMagpie @KatyElphinstone Just happened to me. I couldn’t be bothered to read Uta Frith’s article but just saw this.

<https://www.aims-2-trials.eu/2026/03/10/roche-and-aims-2-trials-receives-eurordis-black-pearl-award-2026/>

Disgusted. This world is really upside down.

(For a rather different understanding see my page <https://gizmonaut.net/autism-documents/>)

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

@PetraPhoenix

Oh no! And yes, that's exactly my worry. That many people will now be invalidated by those close to them, having read the views of 'the expert' 🤨

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

@SecondUniverse

Good point. The autistic subject must be dehumanized at all costs.
Ironic.

@joshsusser @adelinej

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

@gooba42

Exactly