Fluorescent lights, echoing halls, chemical smells— these trigger meltdowns, anxiety, exclusion (Robertson & Simmons, 2015). For neurodivergent people, it's daily oppression, intersecting with race, class, and gender. Historical oversight: disability rights focused on ramps, ignoring sensory needs (Chapman, 2021).

<5 minute read Copyright © 2018-2025 Dr David P Ruttenberg. All rights reserved. An illustration of a group of diverse people using a...

Two weeks ago, COVID-19 put me flat on the couch. Between bouts of fever I kept replaying a scene from earlier this year: scrolling through an unpublished NIH funding announcement for the Autism Data Science Initiative (ADSI)—before NIH had officially released it. The document, labeled OTA-25-006, outlined a $50 million pot, a lightning-fast 30-day application window, and a review process run largely inside NIH.

The recent tragic shooting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta is the clearest warning yet that health misinformation is more than a nuisance—it is lethal. The shooter’s misguided fury was fueled by persistent anti-vaccine conspiracies, including the long-discredited myth falsely linking vaccines to autism. Decades of rigorous scientific research have thoroughly debunked this claim, yet it continues to cause destruction in families and communiti

Sometimes, life throws you curveballs wrapped in inspiration. As a father, neuroscientist, and serial “let’s-try-this!” tinkerer, I’m used to chasing big dreams and bigger questions. But nothing prepared me for the wild, beautiful ride of raising our daughter Phoebe—a brilliant force of nature with her own unique sensory world.

In a world where misinformation can spread faster than facts, where policy decisions affecting millions can be made without consulting those most impacted, I find myself at a crossroads that feels both deeply personal and profoundly urgent. My role on the Scientific Review Board of the Autism Data Science Initiative (ASDI) isn't just another line on my CV—it's a calling that emerged from the intersection of my life as a research scientist, a father, and an advocate.

Despite decades of accommodation laws and corporate diversity initiatives, 85% of college-educated autistic individuals remain unemployed or underemployed (Work Design Magazine, 2025). This stark statistic reveals a fundamental truth: traditional accommodations are failing neurodivergent employees at scale. After years of developing wearable technology for academic, workplace, and social inclusion, I've discovered why: we're solving the wrong problem with outdated tools th

We've been studying autism all wrong! 🤯 Picture this: You're trying to solve a modern cybercrime... using evidence from the 1950s. Sound ridiculous? Well, that's exactly what autism research has been doing for decades. The Shocking Truth 📊 Only 0.4% of autism research focuses on adults. Let that sink in. We've been trying to understand adult autism challenges by studying kindergarteners. Meanwhile, 90% of autistic adults are out there describing their

Sensory needs, attention patterns, and mental health accommodations are as unique as fingerprints. We have to stop using band-aids that standardize accommodations.

(4-Minute Read) Enough Talk. It's Time for Real Inclusion. Let's cut through the noise. DEI. ERG. JEDI. The alphabet soup of workplace...