Judy Singer | |
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Born | 12 April 1951 |
Alma mater | University of Technology Sydney |
School | Disability studies |
Notable ideas | Neurodiversity |
Neurodiversity paradigm |
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Judy Singer (born 12 April 1951) is an Australian sociologist, known for helping to popularise the term neurodiversity.[1]
As the daughter of a Jewish mother who survived World War II, Judy Singer grew up in Australia. For many years, she worked as a computer consultant and later became a single mother. She noticed traits in her daughter that resembled the social difficulties of her mother. Later, Singer's daughter was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.[2][3] Singer has also described herself as "likely somewhere on the autistic spectrum."[4]
Before the diagnosis, Judy began studying sociology at the University of Technology Sydney and delved into British and American disability studies.[5][6] While following the virtual activism of autistic and other neurologically different people in the mid-1990s, particularly on the Independent Living Mailing List (ILMV) forum, she met journalist Harvey Blume.[7] Due to accreditation of the origin of the term 'neurodiversity' to Singer by Steve Silberman in his book, NeuroTribes, Singer is often credited with the creation of the term neurodiversity[1] to represent both the idea of neurological diversity and to think about the existence of a social movement of neurological minorities that would also include the autism rights movement.[8][9][10] However, this term first appeared in publication in a 1998 article by Harvey Blume, a year before Singer included it in a book chapter discussing the development of the concept of 'neurological diversity' online. In this chapter, Singer did not claim to have created the term, and only used it in passing.[1]
In Australia, Singer also created ASpar, a group to support families of autistic people. In 2016, she published the book Neurodiversity: The Birth of an Idea.[11][12]
In June 2023, Judy made a series of transphobic comments on Twitter for which she garnered backlash.[13]
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