This project is under construction.
Here is a brief description of the concept:

“Autismology” refers to “the science of autism”, encompassing the following key aspects:

1. In-depth analysis and teaching of autism, with a primary focus on studying and conveying insights from the perspectives of autistic individuals, actively involving them in the process.

2. Educating autistic individuals, particularly on the positive attributes associated with autism.

3. Disseminating knowledge on “non-autism,” with a special emphasis on understanding and addressing “Non-Autistic Disorders.”

4. Establishing connections with knowledge sources related to autism that align with the Autistan Diplomatic Organization‘s vision.

5. Serving as a fundamental reference for non-autistic entities seeking a comprehensive understanding of autism.

In the meantime, you may also check https://autistan.org/autisme/ (automatic translation)

15/09/2026

What Is Autismology?

Autismology is the science of autism: the study, understanding, and teaching of autism as such.

This concept is based on a fundamental distinction between autism itself and the disorders, difficulties, or situations of disability that may be associated with it.

When autism is essentially defined in terms of disorders, deficits, or observable difficulties, its study naturally tends to focus on problems: their causes, diagnosis, measurement, treatment, or compensation.

Autismology proposes a different starting point: to study autism itself first.

This means seeking to understand its nature, its specific characteristics, its ways of perceiving, understanding, and relating to the world, as well as its qualities and possible virtues. It also involves studying the difficulties encountered by autistic people, but without presupposing that these difficulties necessarily constitute autism itself: they may notably result from the interaction between autistic characteristics and an unsuitable physical, sensory, social, or cultural environment.

Studying Autism

Autismology is not intended to replace the disciplines that already study certain aspects of autism.

Neuroscience, genetics, psychology, psychiatry, cognitive science, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, linguistics, education, and many other disciplines can contribute useful knowledge.

Autismology, however, proposes to place autism itself at the centre of the study, rather than approaching it solely through the particular framework of a pre-existing discipline.

It can therefore bring together, compare, and organise knowledge from very different fields, while also examining new hypotheses and new ways of understanding autism.

This approach must remain open, rigorous, and critical. Autismology is not intended to defend any particular doctrine about autism, but to seek to understand it as accurately and comprehensively as possible.

Teaching Autism

Knowledge about autism is not only meant to be produced: it must also be transmitted.

Autismology therefore also has a function of teaching, clarification, and dissemination of knowledge about autism.

This teaching is intended notably for autistic people themselves.

Many autistic people learn primarily about their difficulties, their limitations, or the efforts they are expected to make in order to adapt to the non-autistic world. They may, however, have far fewer opportunities to understand the nature of their autism, its specific characteristics, its possible qualities, and the ways in which some of these qualities may be overlooked, discouraged, or even interpreted as defects.

A better understanding of autism by autistic people can help them to understand themselves better, to recognise their qualities, and to reduce some of the suffering resulting from a lack of understanding of their own functioning or from the demands of their environment.

The teaching of autism is also intended for non-autistic people and for society as a whole.

A better understanding of autistic reality can help reduce misinterpretations, prejudices, unjustified demands for adaptation, and environments or behaviours that unnecessarily create difficulties and suffering for autistic people.

An Open Field

Autismology is not limited to any particular theory or to the views of its initiators.

It can include historical, scientific, social, philosophical, cultural, or conceptual studies of autism, including studies presenting different or contradictory approaches.

It can therefore examine the history of conceptions of autism, contemporary scientific knowledge, different theories of autism, neurodiversity, autistic experience, relations between autistic and non-autistic people, accessibility, public policies, and the controversies that run through these various fields.

The objective is not to select only knowledge that supports a pre-existing conception, but to enable a clearer, broader, and more rigorous understanding of autism.

A Science of Autism

The very possibility of conceiving Autismology therefore depends on an essential distinction:

autism is not reducible to disorders associated with autism.

If autism were merely a collection of disorders, those disorders could be studied, diagnosed, or treated, but the idea of “teaching autism” would indeed make little sense.

Once autism is understood as having a reality of its own, with characteristics that are not necessarily defects and some of which may constitute qualities, it becomes possible to make it a genuine object of knowledge and teaching.

It is in this sense that we propose the term Autismology: the science of autism.

Study autism. Understand autism. Teach autism.