How can we understand autism and ADHD in a way that is grounded in the experiences of individuals who live with these forms of neurodivergences? Finding answers to this question is what motivates Hanna Bertilsdotter Rosqvist, newly appointed professor of social work at Karlstad University. With a norm-critical and neuroaffirmative perspective, she wants to contribute to better support and greater understanding of neurodivergent individuals in society.
Hanna Bertilsdotter Rosqvist began her research career in sociology, focusing on gender and sexuality studies. Following her doctorate in sociology, she changed course and began researching autism and ADHD from a neurodiversity perspective – an approach that challenges norms and offers new ways of understanding these forms of neurodivergences. This, in turn, affects how support for these groups can be designed.
– My interest was sparked both through learning about the crip theory – a norm-critical perspective within disability research – and through a previous relationship with a psychologist who introduced me to a care-based perspective on autism and ADHD, says Hanna Bertilsdotter Rosqvist. This aroused my curiosity about the potential of applying a norm-critical perspective on autism and ADHD.
She has been researching autism and ADHD since 2009, and since 2012, her work has focused on these issues in relation to social work. Today, her research centres on developing a neuroaffirmative approach within the field of social work.
What are the challenges and possibilities within this field of research?
– The field is still largely dominated by outsider perspectives, and research funding doesn’t always reflect the knowledge needs of the target group. I see social work as key to advancing the field, since the target group often seeks lifelong support that promotes health and wellbeing and reduces the risk of mental illness.
What motivates you as a researcher?
– I’m motivated by a strong interest and, since entering the field of neurodiversity research, I’ve been committed to developing methods and theories that better reflect insider perspectives – knowledge based on the lived experience of the target group. In the past, research has often been shaped by the perspectives of parents or professionals. This is about both knowledge justice – ensuring that a marginalised minority has the opportunity to speak and be heard – and increasing the influence of individuals with lived experience of autism or ADHD, which leads to better and more ethical research.
What contributions are you hoping to make as a professor in social work?
– I want to contribute new perspectives and improved support for individuals with autism and ADHD, as well as helping them better understand themselves. It’s about building bridges between academia and practice, and being part of the growing international research field of neuroaffirmative social work, and promoting this approach in support services and interventions for individuals with autism and ADHD in Sweden.
I need to strike a balance between the needs of the research community, such as advancement in methodology and theory, and the needs of both the target group and professionals involved in social work. It’s about creating an interaction between different perspectives and acting as a kind of translator between academic, professional and lived-experience knowledge, so that research can be implemented and make a meaningful difference in society.
Hanna Bertilsdotter Rosqvist began working as a senior lecturer in social work at Karlstad University in July 2024 and has since been promoted to professor. Before that, she held positions at Södertörn University and Umeå University. She has written several books, and her most recent publication offers a neuroaffirmative perspective on autism and ADHD in education, health and social care.
