Dr. Matthew Belmonte, autism scientist (MIT, NTU) and nice guy, interview, May 2022, England.
Manage episode 328974435 series 3111816
Matthew is a nice guy and I like him, he is a friend I've known for a few years. He's always wearing a long, Indian style chemise when I see him. He has an autistic brother who's never spoken. He attended several 'Autism Dialogue' group sessions in Sheffield in 2019-2020.
Matthew thought we were just meeting for coffee in Sheffield, England (the banana bread was very nice too) then when I sprung on him I wanted to interview him, he thought for a moment about what we shared in common and then looked towards the intersection between my work in autism dialogue and his life and work. He has a very interesting take on autism, genetics and the world and this chat had a slightly abstract quality to it because we were more like 'feeling' our way into thinking together, as in genuine dialogue. Indeed, Matthew insightfully explains how generative, equity-based dialogue is a joint exploration that unfolds and enfolds meaning in situ, and allows us to see the subtle, systemic dynamics at play for us, all the time. I enjoyed listening to him and watching him speak with his glowing face, soft American accent and bright green coat, while the birds sang round us and he pointed out that every person walking by has their own unique story. - Jonny Drury
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