An early career autistic scholar who is researching ableism within autism research
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Dr. Bothaopens in new window is an early career social psychologist and research fellow at University of Stirling, United Kingdom. As an autistic person, Dr. Botha’s approach to research and other scholarship is “nothing about us without us,” and their focus is on ableism within autism research. They received their bachelor’s degree in social care practice at Athlone Institute of Technology, and their doctorate in psychology at the University of Surrey.
Dr. Botha’s emancipatory work investigates processes such as how language in autism research harms autistic people (through the social processes of stigma, dehumanization, and objectification). Their earlier work extends the minority stress model to understanding social stress as a possible explanation of mental health disparities among autistic populations.
Botha, M. (2021). Academic, activist, or advocate? Angry, entangled, and emerging: A critical reflection on autism knowledge production. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.727542opens in new window
Botha, M., & Cage, E. (2022). “Autism research is in crisis”: A mixed method study of researcher’s constructions of autistic people and autism research. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1050897opens in new window
Botha, M., & Frost, D. M. (2020). Extending the minority stress model to understand mental health problems experienced by the autistic population. Society and Mental Health, 10(1), 20–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156869318804297opens in new window
Social, Culture, Autism, Bias, Stress
The development of resources to broaden diversity and representation in the teaching of high school psychology resources is an APA Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools initiative supported by funding from the American Psychological Foundation David and Carol Myers Fund. This resource was developed by Kara Ayers, PhD; Emily Lund, PhD; Erika Sanborne; and Allison Shaver.