Hi, I'm Desi Jones, an autism researcher studying intersectionality, stigma, and social interaction.

 About Me

I am a President's Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Maryland. My research focuses on how autistic people are perceived by their peers, and how these perceptions impact the experiences of autistic adults. I'm also interested in the intersection of race and disability, and ways to reduce barriers for disabled people of color. My dissertation investigated the relationship between stigmatizing attitudes, peer victimization, and mental health outcomes in Black and White autistic adults. 

Selected work

• Stigma and Autism

  • Shifting stigma about autistic young people. 

  • Mindshift in autism: a call to professionals in research, clinical, and educational settings.

• Race and Autism

  • An expert discussion on structural racism in autism research and practice. 

  • To address racial disparities in autism research, we must think globally, act locally. 

• Autism Acceptance Training

  • Effects of autism acceptance training on explicit and implicit biases toward autism. 

  • Greater social interest between autistic and non-autistic conversation partners following autism acceptance training for non-autistic people. 

Get in touch at drjones@umd.edu