The Neurodivergent Experience

Episode: Hot Topic: Autism Is Genetic — And That’s Not a Bad Thing

Hosts: Jordan James & Simon Scott
Date: October 2, 2025

Episode Overview

In this week’s “Hot Topic” episode, hosts Jordan James and Simon Scott dive deep into the discourse around the genetics of autism, pushing back against the harmful narratives that frame autism as an “epidemic” or disease. Drawing on personal experience, current media coverage, and research trends, they challenge sensationalist takes and advocate for a more nuanced, fact-based, and affirming perspective. The episode aims to myth-bust common misconceptions around the causes of autism, highlight the risks of parent-blaming language, and argue passionately for shifting energy away from “causes” towards supporting neurodivergent people.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Danger of Framing Autism as a “Problem”

Timestamp: [02:21 – 04:39]

• Jordan denounces the notion that searching for a “cause” of autism inherently labels it as a problem that needs to be solved.
  • Quote: “The idea of saying there's a cause is one suggesting that it's a problem for everyone across the board… It's ableist… we're a minority and we're getting treated like we're a disease.” – Jordan [03:10]
• He shares personal experience on public reaction when both he and his wife (both autistic) had autistic children, highlighting the double standard where anti-science figures (like Trump) are embraced over autistic voices.

2. Debunking Parent-Blaming and Lazy Science Reporting

Timestamp: [04:39 – 07:35]

• Simon critiques an article about which parent “carries the autism gene,” calling out unsupported claims and lack of citations.
  • Quote: “No links, nothing, no information. And the constant parent blaming… led me down a really negative place when I first got my diagnosis.” – Simon [06:10]
• The hosts agree that accessible, quality research is overshadowed by shallow, sensationalist sites with reductive language.

3. Real Science vs “Facebook Science”

Timestamp: [07:35 – 11:17]

• Jordan differentiates between real scientific research (peer-reviewed, longitudinal) and “Facebook science” (clickbait headlines based on isolated studies).
  • Quote: “A headline is an attention seeking word salad… It's literally clickbait.” – Jordan [08:44]
• They joke about outlandish clickbait (e.g., “musk releases bees into the atmosphere that are all made of Lego”), emphasizing how misleading headlines trick people into misinformation.

4. How Sensationalist Misinformation Spreads

Timestamp: [11:17 – 14:40]

• Simon and Jordan break down the Tylenol-autism myth, demonstrating how a single preliminary study gets echoed across hundreds of articles, falsely bolstering its credibility.
  • Quote: “You can have a hundred articles that say that autism is caused by Tylenol, but that doesn't make it true. It's all Chinese whispers, isn't it?” – Jordan [12:29]
• They lament how true research is much harder to access than viral opinion pieces.

5. Statistics & the Spectrum’s Diverse Experience

Timestamp: [14:40 – 18:14]

• Jordan encourages listeners to critically assess scientific claims, introducing concepts like “reduction in synaptic pruning” as areas needing real research, not scapegoats.
• Both hosts highlight data suggesting most autistic people have moderate or low support needs; the stereotype of severe impairment is a minority.
  • Quote: “The classically high functioning of us, we are the majority. That's the point.” – Jordan [17:00]
  • Quote: “The majority of us are undiagnosed.” – Simon [16:06]
• They cite UK stats: 90% of adults over 40 who meet criteria for autism remain undiagnosed.

6. Nuance and Support: Beyond Blanket Statements

Timestamp: [18:14 – 24:41]

• The hosts stress every autistic person’s experience is different, rejecting blanket negativity:
  • Quote: “If there are families out there who say we suffer because we're autistic… that's terrible, how can we help you? But… only looking at the minority… and saying that's all of you, that's insane.” – Jordan [19:30]
• They advocate for research on the nuances within autism, like different support needs, over the fruitless search for a singular “cause.”

7. Stop Blaming—Start Supporting

Timestamp: [21:51 – 24:41]

• Jordan argues that the “blame and risk” approach in articles is actively harmful, distorting the fact that neurodivergence brings societal value.
  • Quote: “If autism is a risk, that means innovation, exploration, art, science, invention… why is that so easily forgotten?” – Jordan [22:32]
• They demand a research focus on helping autistic people thrive rather than preventing future neurodivergent births.

8. Practical Advice: Critically Engage With Information

Timestamp: [24:41 – End]

• Simon calls on listeners to be critical of what they read, to dig deeper than opinion headlines, and to look for real data.
  • Quote: “We are deep data gatherers… Just make sure that the data you're gathering is actually data and not just opinion pieces.” – Simon [25:27]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “That is freaking hate speech, dude. That isn’t helpful… All it does is make us out to be broken, like with damaged versions of neurotypical.” – Jordan [03:14]
• “It's like taking a punchline from a stand up that tells a 10 minute joke and going, they said this go… You've taken the entire context out, you've taken the meaning out.” – Simon [11:24]
• "If you're going to talk about the negatives, talk about the negatives that actually exist. Talk about the reality of negatives, not just blanket autism bad. You can't do that because it's not like that.” – Jordan [23:18]
• “If you're gonna spend money, spend money on researching how to help the autistic people that exist and stop spending money on trying to stop autistic people existing. That might be a great start.” – Jordan [24:19]

Useful Timestamps

| MM:SS | Segment / Topic | |------------|----------------------------------------------------------| | 02:21–04:39| Danger of “cause” language and problem framing | | 04:39–07:35| Parent-blaming narratives in reporting | | 07:35–11:17| Facebook science vs peer-reviewed research | | 11:17–14:40| How misinformation proliferates (Tylenol myth) | | 14:40–18:14| Data, spectrum, and undiagnosed neurodivergence | | 18:14–24:41| Nuance, support needs, and research focus | | 24:41–End | Critical thinking, advice for listeners |

Conclusion

This episode delivers a powerful, relatable rebuke to deficit-focused and fear-mongering narratives about autism. Jordan and Simon use humor, lived experience, and data to illuminate why genetics is not a dirty word, why the spectrum is so diverse, and why support—not prevention—must be the priority for research and advocacy. Their final message: question what you read, seek out real data, and remember that neurodivergence is part of human diversity, not a problem to be erased.