Problem Space

When New York City became one of the epicenters of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, an interdisciplinary team of researchers funded by a National Science Foundation grant were tasked with understanding the impact of the pandemic on New York City residents with disabilities. As a member of this research team, I was charged with assessing the impact of the pandemic on local autistic adults. 

Research Process  

I leveraged already existing research connections with autistic New Yorkers to solicit research participants. I conducted semi-structured qualitative research interviews with both autistic individuals and the family members of autistic adults with high support needs. 

Deliverables and Impact

My research demonstrated the negative effects of the pandemic on autistic adults’ mental health while also revealing unexpected creative endeavors and positive material effects related to Economic Impact Payments from the federal government and the flourishing of creative artistic endeavors to combat social isolation. My research resulted in a publication in Somatosphere, and our team’s research resulted in an edited volume, How to be Disabled in a Pandemic (NYU Press 2025)