Selling Out the Spectrum, Liam ODell
Selling Out the Spectrum, Liam ODell
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Selling Out the Spectrum
How Science Lost the Trust of Autistic People, and How It Can Win It Back

Author: Liam O'Dell

Narrator: Liam O'Dell

Unabridged: 5 hr 58 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: John Murray

Published: 11/21/2024

Synopsis

When trust breaks down, how do we begin to fix it?

Set against the controversial history of genetic research into autism, from the Spectrum 10k study led by Professor Simon Baron-Cohen to the legacy of the Andrew Wakefield MMR scandal, this book explores the ways in which autistic people have been let down by science and what needs to be done to build more effective partnerships in the future.

Written by leading autistic journalist Liam O'Dell, Selling Out the Spectrum takes a thorough, balanced deep-dive into the issues surrounding the relationship between science and the autistic community, can explores how past damage can be effectively and meaningfully repaired.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Naty on October 07, 2024

Super relevant, highly recommend to anyone reading austistic research or who wants to go a bit deeper into the trust issues the autistic community has with the scientific community - I particularly enjoyed the parts where the book presents suggestions on how to rebuild trust, it really gives some ho......more

Goodreads review by Sara on November 19, 2024

I was quite frustrated by this book, overall. It felt like a missed opportunity. The topic is very important, and many of the people interviewed are really interesting. I enjoyed reading the interviews although at times it felt as though huge swathes of transcript made up the bulk of a chapter, with......more

Goodreads review by Alana on September 07, 2024

Liam Odell’s Selling Out the Spectrum is a text I would recommend to anyone seeking to get caught up or refreshed on the numerous issues in academic research, medical care, politics, and the media as it pertains to autistic individuals. This book is a thoroughly researched and succinct “crash course......more

Goodreads review by Logan on September 05, 2024

In the particular, this book is about the autistic community and their relationship with research and researchers into autism. Its conceptual scope, or applicability, is much broader, about the question in general of how science and medicine relates, or should relate, to the objects of its research.......more

Goodreads review by Meghan on March 14, 2025

I’m really glad this book exists! I jumped to request the ARC when I saw it because, as a late diagnosed autistic woman with autistic children, I’m trying to learn as much as I can about autistic history and current affairs as quickly as possible. This book was the perfect crash course on the variety......more

Quotes

Since the events of 2016, we have talked about a crisis of trust - but it's never been just a single crisis, and it's never been one-way. In this book, Liam O'Dell deftly chronicles one of these many breakdowns of trust: this time, between autism researchers and autistic people. O'Dell tracks the roots of the crisis to the research malpractice of MMR researcher Andrew Wakefield, right through to the present day with original reporting on Spectrum 10K. The book serves as a vivid reminder that trust is a two-way street, a thing of value which always needs to be earned and maintained.

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