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Current Call for Submissions

Misinformation (7.2)
Deadline: March 15, 2026

There has always been misinformation about autism and autistic people. Even before the official existence of the diagnostic label, conjecture about autism’s cause has led to false leads, and sometimes, outright falsehoods. Misinformation about autistic people abounds in literature, television, and film representations even today. Consequently, autistic individuals face discrimination in daily interactions with misinformed neurotypical people.

In this particular historical moment, we are seeing an increasing spread of misinformation about autism—often on behalf of governmental agencies. What are autistic advocates doing to counter that misinformation? How has our community responded to stereotyping, misinformation, and disinformation?

For this issue (7.2), Ought seek pieces that explore these issues. Art, poems, scholarly essays, original research, theoretical considerations, and personal narratives are encouraged.Consider the following ideas:

  • The effect that misinformation, disinformation, and/or malinformation has on autistic people, their families, or their communities
  • How misinformation about autism may contribute to stereotyping, discrimination, and even violence
  • How misinformation may (mis)inform the search for causation and/or the search for a cure
  • Misinformation and/or stereotypes of autistic people presented in literature, film, or other media
  • Examples of how autistic advocates have responded to misinformation and/or disinformation

Please submit via http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/ought.


Autistic Headcanons (8.1)
Deadline: September 15, 2026

Fictional works become entangled with real world diagnoses, helping us rediscover ourselves. This issue of Ought is a tribute to the imaginary worlds that have contributed to autistic joy. Television shows, films, novels, comics, video games, musicians, and artists have inspired a strong following in the autistic community, and the unofficial diagnosis of fictional characters contributed to the growth of identity, pride, and community among autistic people. Personal headcanons and more widespread fanons have also allowed autistic people to reclaim or reinvent narratives created for or written by neurotypical people. For this issue (8.1), Ought seeks pieces that explore these issues. Artwork, poems, scholarly essays, original research, theoretical considerations, and personal narratives are encouraged. Consider the following ideas:

  • How the diagnosis of fictional characters may engage, stem from, or create deep autistic interests
  • The ways in which fanons may help autistic people to connect with each other and to create community; how fan culture, nerd culture, and gaming communities include or exclude autistic people
  • The potential dangers, limits, or problems with “diagnosing” fictional characters with autism; stereotypical representations of autism in fictional works and how autistic interpretations may work against such representations
  • How the neurological identity and/or lived experience of the author may influence the representation or reception of a fictional work’s portrayal of autism
  • Explorations of autistic interests, fandom, and joy and the ways in which these experiences may overlap with (or be different from) allistic experiences

Please submit via http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/ought.