June 20, 2026

Less than two weeks ago, I introduced my theory that there is a causal link between autism and cPTSD, specifically that I believe unmet autistic needs directly lead to cPTSD over time...

There was an instant response to my content that I was honestly not expecting... thousands of you reacted with deep relief, sharing your stories as autistic people living in a world that hasn't been built to support our autistic needs...

And many of you asked to participate in a study. One that didn't exist and hadn't even been conceptualized yet.

That's when I realized I needed to do more than present a theory if I wanted to offer something truly useful to our community. Something that can take us down a path that actually leads to structural change for autistic people.

So I asked if anyone would be interested in participating in research on this...

And the response I got was beyond what I honestly anticipated. 

But the thing that stood out to me most in all of the responses I got was actually from the academic community. 

Dozens of PhD level (many autistic!) people and highly credentialed practitioners instantly understood the value of this work and volunteered to contribute to the project. 

This changed a lot about how I was conceptualizing this.

I originally thought I would conduct an independent study that may or may not see the light of day outside of my small ecosystem. 

Now, I see the potential of this as far greater.

If we can conduct this study with a full team of formally trained, highly credentialed contributors, this study can operate at an entirely different level and do far, far more for our community.

So, with that said... I will be slowing down the initial phase of this project so I can build a team of contributors...

In the meantime, I am working on creating a hub on my website with everything about this project in one place. 

A version of it is already up, but  there is still a lot more I plan on adding (like frequently asked questions and a post explaining the difference between a theory and hypothesis and why that distinction is so crucial when it comes to this project).

For that reason, I will not be sharing the link just yet (though if you're particularly motivated, you can see a version of it up now 😄)

But I hope to have it ready to share very shortly.

And for those who are interested in following along with the progress of this study as it evolves (and it surely will, as it has already evolved dramatically in just a few days) you can sign up for that on my website. 

(Interested participants can sign up for updates there as well. But the link is not for participation. It's for updates.)

And thank you to all who have expressed support and enthusiasm about this project. I could not be more dedicated to creating a study that meaningfully contributes to the scientific landscape of autism understanding.

More to come soon. 🙏🏻