The Neurodivergent Experience5 Dec 2025

Hot Topic: Neurodivergent Animals? The Problem Isn’t the Pets — It’s the Framing

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott react to a recent article claiming dogs can be “autistic” — and unpack why this framing misunderstands both animals and neurodivergence.

They discuss how natural behaviours in animals get mislabelled as “autistic traits,” why deficit-based language harms autistic people, and how ableist assumptions shape research across species.

Together, they explore:

How research bias leads to fear-based language like “risk” and “behavioural problems”
Why neurodivergence is a natural evolutionary advantage, not a deficit
The danger of reinforcing stereotypes (e.g., “cats are autistic,” “hyper dogs are ADHD”)
Why splitting neurodivergence into strict labels misses the bigger picture
How science goes wrong when it assumes autism is a negative trait
The importance of autistic-led insight in neurodivergent research

This is a funny, fiery, and thought-provoking take on what happens when good intentions collide with bad science — and why autistic voices must guide any conversation about neurodivergence, no matter the species.

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