Dr Mary Doherty is an autistic doctor who has unique insights to offer on the autistic experience, autistic wellbeing and healthcare.
Including a mixture of research data and personal experience, this presentation will explore the joys and challenges of being openly autistic in the medical profession, the barriers autistic people experience accessing healthcare and one potential solution developed by autistic doctors - the Autistic SPACE framework.
Insights from Dr Doherty will shine a light on what it means to be autistic, the challenge of recognising and sharing one’s autistic identity, and will point to the pivotal role of shame in navigating this experience. Being an openly autistic doctor brings a tension between appearing “autistic enough” to be taken seriously as autistic and “professional enough” to be taken seriously as a doctor, yet embracing this challenge allows us to leverage our insider perspectives for the benefit of our community and help ensure that autistic kids can grow up confidently autistic rather than steeped in shame.