Autism History—Seeking Interviews

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My first time posting on WrongPlanet, and I hope I am posting this announcement in the right place. If not, please accept my apologies and my thanks for directing me to where I should post.

Best,

John


DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
356 O’SHAUGHNESSY BUILDING, NOTRE DAME, INDIANA 46556


Seeking Interviews of Adults on the Autistic Spectrum

I am the father of a young man with autism and an associate professor of English at the University of Notre Dame seeking to interview adults on the autistic spectrum. I am writing a book on the history of autism and wish to include the voices, experiences, and perspectives of adult men and women with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.

The book will trace the ways that the language used to describe, diagnose, and explain autism has changed from the 1940s until the present time.

I am interested in speaking with people who were born between 1945 and 1995. I am also interested in speaking with family members of non-verbal autistic adults.

The interview method will follow the protocols of the life history method, in which social change is understood from the perspective of the individual. Interviews will be semi-structured, meaning that I will come prepared with questions about childhood, family, work, and other topics but the person giving the interview may direct the conversation as she or he chooses.

Interviews will be arranged at the convenience of the person or people being interviewed. I am willing to travel or to conduct interviews by Skype or by e-mail. The confidentiality of all participants will be respected.

I may be reached at any of the following:

Mailing Address:
John Duffy
338 Decio Hall
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN 46556

Phone:
(574) 631-9796 (work)
(574) 323-5281 (cell)
E-mail: jduffy@nd.edu

Thank you!

I'm interested in what you are doing, John. I'm diagnosed with AS, but also have family members with varying conditions along the autism spectrum.

Learning about the way late relatives of mine with autism had to live gave me an interest in the disability rights movement and encouraged me to go into social work, but I was actually an English major in school and appreciate how powerful language and the labels used to describe people can be.

I may like to participate in a phone or email interview. Could you PM me with additional information or post it here? Thanks and good luck with the work you are doing.

PM me. I could answer some survey questions by e-mail.

As long as the questions do not concern very intimate matters, I would be inclined to answer them.

ruveyn

Ruveyn: Thank you. Now this next part will be embarrassing for me to admit, but I'm not sure what the PM function is or how to use it. I would very much like to send you a few questions, though.

blueroses: Same with the PM as above. But I'm glad to send (or post) whatever you info you might need. Let me know? Thanks.

John

E-mailed you John.

Could you tell us how many questions there are going to be? I have trouble with open-ended questions or vague ones sometimes...

I e-mailed you as well. I hope that I can help others by sharing my own experiences.

Buryuntime: That's a good question. The number of questions I ask will depend on what you tell me in advance you wish to discuss. If there is one topic you want to talk about, we'll talk about that. If there are topics you do not wish to discuss, then we won't discuss them. The interview will be a collaborative process; we'll work at it together. Hope that helps.

Idaho Rose: Thank you.

I'd be happy to answer any questions. PM me
Ariela

If you are interested in people who believe they have AS (self-diagnosed) but have yet to obtain a formal Dx, I'm willing.

PM me if you wish to go further.