Mapping the claims of the autistic community: a systemic approach

Abstract

The paper demonstrates how the notion of a deliberative system (Mansbridge et al., 2012; Maia; Hauber; Choucair, 2023) can contribute to mapping the public debate related to autism, shedding light on the claims, justifications and frameworks of the different groups of representatives who speak out on the issue. The reflections are based on a content analysis of textual components collected from the portals of the Brazilian Association for Action for the Rights of Autistic People (Abraça), Folha de São Paulo and the Federal Senate, which allowed for a broader view of the public debate on the subject. The text supports three contributions of the systemic perspective that can lead to an expanded understanding of public issues: the inclusion of agents, environments and discourses to control the bias of the debate caused by dominant groups; the panoramic view of the problem as a way of mapping priorities between different representatives; and the possibility of distinguishing the democratic quality in collective discussions.