Noah Sasson
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noahsasson.bsky.social
Noah Sasson
@noahsasson.bsky.social
Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Dallas. I run the Social Cognition and Interaction in Autism lab.
Reposted by Noah Sasson
So cool: Autism researcher @desirjones.bsky.social talks with the original Steve from Blue's Clues about autism and neurodivergence! Available on YouTube or as a podcast.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLKV...

#autism #neurodiversity #BluesClues
Dr. Desiree Jones on Neurodivergence: Who Decides What’s “Normal”?
YouTube video by Alive with Steve Burns
www.youtube.com
November 13, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
I had an amazing opportunity to talk about autism and neurodiversity with Steve Burns, one of my childhood heroes! You can listen to the full podcast now, or watch on YouTube starting at 4pm today (11/12). I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

lemonada.lnk.to/AlivewithSte...
November 12, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
Replicating previous findings, "autistic adults were more prosocial than non-autistic adults towards more socially distant others" journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... "While autistic people often face challenges navigating their social worlds, autism can also be associated with more generosity"
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
October 30, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
September 8, 2025 at 2:28 PM
I'm so proud of @desirjones.bsky.social for this important paper and all the hard work she put into it. I'm also very grateful for @drmbothapsych.bsky.social for their many contributions in shaping this project.
Black autistic adults are too often left out of conversations about stigma and autism.

Our new paper shows how stigma is shaped by race, gender, and sexuality, creating unique challenges for Black autistic adults, women, and LGBTQ+ autistic people.

www.liebertpub.com/d...
1/2
“I’m Kind of Stuck in the Middle. I Don’t Know Where to Go”: Race, Autism, and Intersectional Stigma Among Black and White Autistic Adults | Autism in Adulthood
Background: Autistic adults frequently experience social stigma, which may be compounded by additional marginalized identities such as race, gender, and sexual orientation. Black autistic adults, in particular, may face unique challenges at the intersection of racial bias and autism stigma. However, the experiences of autistic people with intersecting marginalized identities remain underexplored in research, contributing to a limited understanding of stigma’s impact across diverse communities. Methods: We used qualitative methods to explore how intersecting identities shape autistic adults’ experiences of stigma and marginalization, with an emphasis on Black autistic adults. In total, 32 autistic adults (16 Black and 16 White) completed a semi-structured interview regarding their social experiences. Participants shared recent stories of peer exclusion, acceptance, discrimination, and support that they had experienced, as well as their feelings surrounding these events. We recorded and transcribed these interviews and used an inductive, or data-driven, approach to thematic analysis to identify salient themes in the data. Results: We generated three intersectional themes, which encompassed the unique impact of stigma on those with intersecting identities. Specifically, these themes included: (1) identity-based discrimination shaped by race, gender, and LGBTQ+ status; (2) challenges in obtaining and processing an autism diagnosis; and (3) difficulties navigating personal identity, particularly among Black autistic participants. While autistic adults broadly reported stigma experiences, Black participants often described layered forms of exclusion related to both their race and autistic traits. Across racial groups, women and LGBTQ+ participants also reported distinct forms of marginalization and erasure. Conclusion: These findings highlight how autism stigma intersects with other marginalized identities to shape social experiences. Black autistic adults, along with autistic women and LGBTQ+ autistic people, may encounter compounded barriers to acceptance, identity development, and belonging. These results underscore the need for more inclusive research and supports that attend to the diversity of autistic experiences.
www.liebertpub.com
September 8, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
While autistic people had longer talking turns, this didn't explain the rapport gap. Our findings challenge a purely deficit-based view of autistic communication.
August 29, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
The context mattered most. Autistic participants reported the highest rapport when they knew their partner was also autistic, supporting the idea of a distinct autistic social style that thrives between autistic people. #DoubleEmpathyProblem
August 29, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
Does neurotype affect social connection? Our new @PLOSONE paper finds autistic people report lower rapport in conversations, but it's not that simple. We found that awareness of who you're talking to is key!

Paper link (OA):
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Diagnostic status influences rapport and communicative behaviours in dyadic interactions between autistic and non-autistic people
A growing body of research suggests that the behaviours and experiences of autistic and non-autistic people are influenced by whether they are interacting with someone of the same or different diagnos...
doi.org
August 29, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
DON'T MISS! Verbal Collaboration in Same- & Mixed-Neurotype Groups of Autistic & Non-Autistic Adults by
@sarah-foster.bsky.social et al examined verbal collaboration during a group tower-building task among autistic and non-autistic adults

NEW FREE to Aug 28
www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/...
August 28, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
This is a neat paper continuing to build on important work on relationships & rapport for autistic adults in group settings, & continues to add to our understanding of autistic people's relationships & the double empathy problem.

#AutismResearch #ActuallyAutistic
Verbal Collaboration in Same- and Mixed-Neurotype Groups of Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults by @sarah-foster.bsky.social
et al. examined verbal collaboration during a group tower-building task among autistic and non-autistic adults (1/)

NEW FREE to Aug 28

www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/...
August 21, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
Verbal Collaboration in Same- and Mixed-Neurotype Groups of Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults by @sarah-foster.bsky.social
et al. examined verbal collaboration during a group tower-building task among autistic and non-autistic adults (1/)

NEW FREE to Aug 28

www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/...
August 21, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
the latest special issue in @journalautism.bsky.social is out!

The Social Model in Autism Research

guest edited by @jopavlopoulou.bsky.social @dramypearson.bsky.social Hanna Bertilsdotter-Rosqvist plus @kbottemabeutel.bsky.social from the permanent editor team

journals.sagepub.com/toc/auta/29/...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
August 17, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
"autistic and non-autistic people did not differ in their ability to share information with others of the same neurotype" but "this study did not find the expected breakdown in information transmission in mixed-neurotype interactions" journals.plos.org/plosone/arti... three-site UK & US study, free
Visuospatial information transfer and task self-assessment within and between autistic and non-autistic adults
Previous research has demonstrated that autistic people transmit verbal information as effectively as non-autistic people; however, when autistic and non-autistic people interact less information is t...
journals.plos.org
August 15, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
NEW PAPER (ish - I'm also just delayed) journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Using Q Methodology, a Group of Neurodivergent Neurodiversity Researchers Ask: What is the Neurodiversity Movement and what should it do?
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
July 30, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
New commentary in JAACAP! Here, we highlight gaps in the literature on Black autistic youths' mental health, and call for research that examines risk and protective factors across individual, family, community, and societal levels.
Free access thru 8/31.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The Critical Need for Research Examining Mental Health Risk and Protective Factors in Black Autistic Youth
www.sciencedirect.com
July 15, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
PUBLIC LECTURE:

My end of @leverhulme.ac.uk fellowship lecture is on the 24th of September! It will be in person at @durhampsych.bsky.social and also streamed online. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/centre-for...
Centre for Neurodiversity and Development Public Lecture
Why autism isn't what you think it is (and why that matters) - end of fellowship Public Lecture by Dr Monique Botha
www.eventbrite.co.uk
July 17, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
Findings support evidence that autistic people often experience better rapport in all-autistic groups and may be more sensitive to mixed-group environments. These insights can help foster more inclusive environments by informing strategies for more effective collaboration.
June 30, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
New article out today: www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/...

We examined verbal collaboration among autistic and non-autistic adults in same- and mixed-neurotype groups during a shared task.
June 30, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
Curious about how autism intervention researchers define and measure "problem behavior"? We examined 102 intervention studies with young autistic children and found that only 1/3 of studies give a reason for targeting the behavior they aim to reduce, 1/4
acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
<em>Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry</em> | ACAMH Pediatric Journal | Wiley Online Library
Background Some autistic children exhibit behavior that caregivers, clinicians, and researchers consider problematic. However, there is little consensus about the types of behaviors that should be t...
acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 2, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
"I was told by clinicians that I’m ‘too empathetic’ to be autistic. That invalidating, alienating experience shaped my research: I want to better understand why nonautistic people assume there’s an empathy deficit.” -Sarah Foster

news.utdallas.edu/health-medic... #autism #neurodiversity
May 29, 2025 at 5:21 AM
Apparently, Nathan Fielder references one of our studies in the latest episode of The Rehearsal.

Finally, something to impress my friends and family!
May 20, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Here's a wonderful news piece about @sarah-foster.bsky.social and the new #autism #doubleempathy study she led about rapport in groups of autistic and non-autistic adults. news.utdallas.edu/health-medic...
Autism Researchers’ Rapport Study Refutes Social-Deficit Model
Psychology doctoral student Sarah Foster, who is autistic, is the corresponding author of a study that examined four-person group interactions among neurotypical, autistic and mixed groups of individu...
news.utdallas.edu
May 16, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
Very VERY proud to have been part of this incredible piece of work

Hundreds of paired and group interactions, exploring the double empathy problem in a large diverse sample.
New paper alert!

Information transfer within and between autistic and non-autistic people is out today in @nathumbehav.nature.com

nature.com/articles/s41...

THREAD! 🧵⬇️
May 14, 2025 at 8:03 PM
It’s been one of the great privileges of my professional life to work on this project with this wonderful team. See the full thread by @cjcrompton.bsky.social for details on this large scale replication study of Double Empathy
This has been a long piece of work – the stage 1 registered report was submitted in 2021!

Its been a team effort with @noahsasson.bsky.social @suereviews.bsky.social @sarah-foster.bsky.social @themisefth.bsky.social @michelleldodd.bsky.social, Martin Lages, Charlotte Wilks + Dani Ropar. #DreamTeam
May 15, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Reposted by Noah Sasson
New paper alert!

Information transfer within and between autistic and non-autistic people is out today in @nathumbehav.nature.com

nature.com/articles/s41...

THREAD! 🧵⬇️
May 14, 2025 at 2:31 PM