Autism and Animality

Cultural Autism Studies at Yale (CASY, ethnography project led by Dr. Dawn Prince-Hughes) is delighted to welcome Ombre Tarragnat on Monday, November 17, 2025, 1pm EST (10am PST, 6pm GMT, 7pm CET). There is no cost to attend, and international participants are welcome.

TITLE: Autism and Animality

DESCRIPTION: Based on their recent article for Trace: Journal for Human-Animal Studies, Ombre will examine some of the key questions raised at the intersection of autism and animality by introducing their concepts of ethodiversity and ethodivergence. This more-than-human framework helps us highlight the animal roots of autism and neuronormativity, reclaim our divergent (hum)animality, enact solidarity with nonhuman animals, and explore the naturecultures of animal neurodivergence.

BRIEF BIO: Ombre Tarragnat (they/she) is an autistic PhD student in philosophy. Their doctoral research examines the intersection of neurodiversity and animality by exploring topics such as the co-construction of speciesism and neuronormativity and the relationships between autistic people and nonhuman animals. They conceptualise neurodiversity as a fundamentally animal, rather than human, phenomenon. This leads to a redefinition of neurodivergence in new biological and existential terms and opens the way to a discussion of animal neurodivergence. Learen more at ombretarragnat.com

ABOUT Cultural Autism Studies at Yale (CASY): An 'ethnography' is an exploration of how a group of people express themselves in a cultural way. Autistic people have a growing kind of culture, and each autistic experience is a vital part of it. Dr. Dawn Prince-Hughes is an anthropologist, ethnographer, primatologist, and author who is autistic. Join her for an exploration of the importance of autistic self-expression and the culture that grows from it. Those who wish to share their content are free to do so on our private Facebook groups (see below), organically contributing to a growing autistic culture.

Links to online events will also be shared on these private Facebook groups: CASY Cultural Autism Studies at Yale (recommended for autistic adults) and SOCIAL CONNECTIVITY FOR AUTISM (recommended for allies, professionals, and family members).

CREDITS: The preparation of this material was financed under an agreement with the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities (CTCDD). CASY Sparks membership and events are free. CASY Sparks is sponsored in part by The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Adult Autism Research Fund, and Dr. Roger Jou