As in 2024, the Diffractive Readings group aims to build inherently transdisciplinary dialogues between researchers with different situated knowledges, anchored in fields related to autism, neurodiversity, and disability.

It also aims to maintain a lively dialogue with activists, self-advocacy movements and allied professionals, promoting the sharing of experiences. The group has three resident readers, who participate in all the sessions, and guest readers, who participate in specific sessions.

Each session will discuss two or three texts presented by the proponents in order to explore differences and emerging ideas. The discussions are open to anyone who wishes to attend and participate, subject to registration [HERE], so that we can share the texts and materials in advance.

Resident readers:
Rita Serra, PhD. Autistic person with a neurodivergent family. Researcher at the Centre for Social Studies at the University of Coimbra. For APVA (Associação Portuguesa Voz do Autista), she led the project AUTICORPOS - Giving body to mental health in autism and AUTICORPOS 2.0 - improving the mental health and well-being of autistic people, co-funded by INR, I.P., which consisted of participatory research with adult autistic people and allied professionals on experiences in accessing mental health, and experiences of peer mentoring.

Andreia Dickinson, MA. Psychologist, psychotherapist and researcher. She participates in action-research, collaborative and social impact activities. Dickinson works mainly with neurodivergent and migrant populations. Her main areas of intervention are identity processes/transformations and access to health. She is a member of APPsyCI - Applied Psychology Research Centre Capabilities & Inclusion, ISPA.

Fernando Fontes, PhD. Sociologist. Auxiliary Researcher at the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra. Lecturer in the Doctoral Programme: Human Rights in Contemporary Societies (CES/IIUC). Has led and been involved in the development of several research projects in the areas of disability, violence, poverty and social exclusion, human rights, social inclusion, sexual and reproductive citizenship and gender equality. Fontes is the author and co-author of several publications in the field of Disability Studies.

Coorganisers: Rita Serra, Andreia Dickinson and Fernando Fontes.