Professor Hanna Kovshoff | Inaugural Lecture Series | University of Southampton

This was the third Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences Inaugural Lecture in a series that celebrates the careers of our new Professors. On 20th June 2025, Professor Hanna Kovshoff from the School of Psychology presented a lecture to highlight their research, real-world impact and future research directions.

Beyond the medical model: How neurodivergent voices changed the way I do autism research

Autism has long been framed within the medical model of disability as a disorder to be "fixed," with decades of research and public funding focused on normalising autistic individuals—making them “indistinguishable from their peers.” More recently, a transformative shift has occurred in autism research. The concept of neurodiversity, informed by the social model of disability, has challenged this pathologising view and instead champions the voices and lived experiences of autistic individuals. This framework has empowered neurodivergent people to co-create research agendas that truly reflect their needs, values, and priorities.

Professor Hanna Kovshoff explores how medical model informed early work and neurodiversity have reshaped her own research journey. By highlighting the importance of listening to and amplifying autistic voices, she shows how these perspectives have created more meaningful and effective ways to support neurodivergent individuals on their unique trajectories.