Megan McLaughlin

What Today Withholds: Autism and Human Rights in America, is based on twelve years of research in the personal writings of autistic people, as well as academic journals, and media reports. It exposes the many ways in which American society demeans, humiliates, rejects, discriminates against, even tortures and kills autistic people. At the same time, it shows the many ways in which autistics are fighting back to win the rights they deserve.

What readers are saying:

"This is an extraordinary work that is impressive for its depth, scope, and clarity. McLaughlin takes a deep dive into the history of research and practice of “treating” autism, then describes the costs that these methods have had on the education, employment, and health of autistic people. More importantly, she centers the voices of autistics themselves by sharing their accounts of the lasting effects of treatments, therapies, and programs - as well as the joys and challenges they face pursuing work, relationships, and identity in a neurotypical world. Both scholarly and sensitive, this book is highly recommended for educators, employers, and policy makers looking to better support the basic human needs and aspirations of autistics of all ages."

-- Aaron T. Ebata, Ph.D., Co-founder and Principal Investigator, The Autism Program at UIUC,

Professor of Human Development & Family Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

“What Today Withholds demonstrates deep empathy for the circumstances of autistic people, while offering a detailed and strident—yet constructive—critique of the societal barriers autistics encounter and the perpetuators of those barriers. I am in awe of this book!” -- Nathan Spoon, poet, author most recently of The Importance of Being Feeble-Minded

" . . .covers many important and controversial topics with passion, historical reflection, and erudition.”

– Morton Ann Gernsbacher, Professor of Psychology, University of Wisconsin

McLaughlin was a professor of history at the University of Illinois for thirty years, writing two academic books and many articles. She is the mother of a fantastic autistic adult and a trained advocate, working with parents to ensure their disabled kids get the education they are entitled to.