Researching autism, becoming disabled: discovering brilliant imperfection

Here, I take Eli Clare’s concept of "brilliant imperfection" as a jumping-off point to reflect on how my PhD research into autistic experiences of intimacy led to an engagement with – and understanding of – my own relationship to disability. Life imitated research as participants’ narratives held a mirror up to my own experience of growing up gay, my life with HIV, and my adult diagnosis of ADHD. Far from being a dry scholarly exercise, the PhD journey came to represent a personal, professional, and academic transformation.