Dr Sami Timimi: Searching For Normal

Why has autism become one of the most contested diagnoses in medicine — and who is paying the price?In this episode, we sit down with Dr Sami Timimi, child psychiatrist and fierce critic of mainstream psychiatric diagnosis, to ask a question that doesn't get asked enough: what happens when a diagnostic label expands so far it stops meaning anything — and what does that cost the children who need support most?This is a conversation that challenges some deeply held beliefs about neurodiversity, identity, and what it actually means to support disabled people.We cover:Why there is no agreed definition of autism — even among 500 leading researchersHow the expansion of the diagnostic spectrum is diluting resources for severely disabled childrenThe neurodiversity movement's origins, its genuine intentions, and its unintended consequencesWhy the concept of "masking" expanded autism into an entirely new populationADHD as a consumer brand — and the research showing childhood diagnosis predicts worse long-term outcomesThe 787% rise in autism diagnoses in the UK, and what the demographics revealWhy Sami believes diagnosis should be removed as evidence for services like the Disability Living Allowance — replaced with individualised assessments of real clinical, educational, and social needIf you're a parent of a high-needs child who has ever felt that something has gone badly wrong with how autism is understood, this one is for you.Subscribe to the newsletter