Unknowing as a Methodological Tool: Autism, Authenticity, and Epistemic Injustice

It has become something of a truism in certain circles to say that the road to epistemologically and ethically sound autism research requires the inclusion of autistic input into research processes. However, autism research is still overwhelmingly dominated by medical, psychological, and associated disciplines in which an assumption of autistic deficit is omnipresent. The processes supporting and perpetuating epistemic injustice in autism research are therefore intricate, long-standing, deeply entrenched, and powerful. As things stand, is the inclusion of autistic perspectives sufficient to disrupt the circular logic which characterizes much research in the field? What are some potential pitfalls of inclusive or participatory research in the current climate? While participation clearly holds value, is it the panacea that we have been led to believe? Or do we first need to unknow much of what we have been led to believe about autism, or indeed neurodivergence more broadly? This chapter critically analyzes these and other questions. To do so, it takes as a case study the largely absent concept of authenticity in autism research, relating this absence to epistemic injustice. The chapter goes on to propose the potential of unknowing as a methodological tool for Neurodiversity Studies, concluding with an unknowers toolbox, with concrete suggestions for integrating unknowing into research practice.