Amy S.F. Lutz is a historian of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, vice president of the National Council on Severe Autism and the parent of a profoundly autistic son, Jonah, 24. She has written about profound autism for many platforms, including The Atlantic, Psychology Today, Spectrum and Slate. Her most recent book is “Chasing the Intact Mind: How the Severely Autistic and Intellectually Disabled Were Excluded From the Debates That Affect Them Most” (2023). She is also the author of “We Walk: Life With Severe Autism” (2020) and “Each Day I Like It Better: Autism, ECT, and the Treatment of Our Most Impaired Children” (2014). She lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband and whichever of her five children happen to be home at the time.
Amy S.F. Lutz
Writer
From this contributor
Building bridges: Collaboration across the autism community
An autistic person and the mother of an autistic child explore partnership in the autism community.
Building bridges: Collaboration across the autism community
Adults with disabilities deserve right to choose where to live
The idea that one residential model is appropriate for the entire spectrum of intellectual and developmental disability is patently absurd.
Adults with disabilities deserve right to choose where to live
Explore more from The Transmitter
What neuroscientists should know—and what they can do—about changes to BRAIN initiative funding
Many grant proposals submitted to the program in the past year are unlikely to be funded, according to people within the National Institutes of Health. But scientist advocates are reaching out to congressional representatives to try to make changes for 2025.
What neuroscientists should know—and what they can do—about changes to BRAIN initiative funding
Many grant proposals submitted to the program in the past year are unlikely to be funded, according to people within the National Institutes of Health. But scientist advocates are reaching out to congressional representatives to try to make changes for 2025.
Crowdsourcing to curb aggression in autism: Q&A with Matthew Goodwin
To accelerate the development of real-time behavioral prediction technology, a research team is sharing data and seeking new collaborators.
Crowdsourcing to curb aggression in autism: Q&A with Matthew Goodwin
To accelerate the development of real-time behavioral prediction technology, a research team is sharing data and seeking new collaborators.
Brain connectivity and letting the data speak with Emily Finn
The Dartmouth College researcher talks about her quest to understand behavior and doing neuroscience “in the woods.”
Brain connectivity and letting the data speak with Emily Finn
The Dartmouth College researcher talks about her quest to understand behavior and doing neuroscience “in the woods.”