How Gorillas Helped Me Understand Humans – Dawn Prince-Hughes on Autism & Belonging
Dawn Prince-Hughes spent years misunderstood—ostracized, unhoused, and struggling to find her place in the world. Everything changed the day she met a 500-pound silverback gorilla.
In this powerful episode of Uncomfy, Dr. Prince-Hughes shares her extraordinary story of being identified as autistic at age 36—and how her connection with gorillas helped her understand human connection, truth, and herself. She explores what it means to belong, to embrace differences, and to connect on a primal, honest level.
Dr. Dawn Prince-Hughes is an anthropologist, primatologist, author, and co-chair of the Cultural Autism Studies Program at Yale.
Read Dawn’s memoir: Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism – https://a.co/d/hwE3EBJ
Learn more about the Cultural Autism Studies Program at Yale (CASY) – https://culturalautismstudiesatyale.space/
Share your Uncomfy story with us – uncomfy@byu.edu
Subscribe/follow so you never miss an Uncomfy conversation!
Episode transcript - https://uncomfypodcastbyu.blogspot.com/2025/06/how-gorillas-helped-me-understand.html
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:41 Understanding Autism: Statistics and Awareness
01:08 Meet Dawn Prince-Hughes: Anthropologist and Primatologist
01:46 Dawn's Journey: From Homelessness to Working with Gorillas
03:38 Lessons from Gorillas: Social Interactions and Humor
08:32 Identifying Autism: Dawn's Personal Experience
12:49 The Power of Cultural Belonging
15:40 Societal Changes for Autistic Individuals
17:23 Conclusion
In this powerful episode of Uncomfy, Dr. Prince-Hughes shares her extraordinary story of being identified as autistic at age 36—and how her connection with gorillas helped her understand human connection, truth, and herself. She explores what it means to belong, to embrace differences, and to connect on a primal, honest level.
Dr. Dawn Prince-Hughes is an anthropologist, primatologist, author, and co-chair of the Cultural Autism Studies Program at Yale.
Read Dawn’s memoir: Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism – https://a.co/d/hwE3EBJ
Learn more about the Cultural Autism Studies Program at Yale (CASY) – https://culturalautismstudiesatyale.space/
Share your Uncomfy story with us – uncomfy@byu.edu
Subscribe/follow so you never miss an Uncomfy conversation!
Episode transcript - https://uncomfypodcastbyu.blogspot.com/2025/06/how-gorillas-helped-me-understand.html
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:41 Understanding Autism: Statistics and Awareness
01:08 Meet Dawn Prince-Hughes: Anthropologist and Primatologist
01:46 Dawn's Journey: From Homelessness to Working with Gorillas
03:38 Lessons from Gorillas: Social Interactions and Humor
08:32 Identifying Autism: Dawn's Personal Experience
12:49 The Power of Cultural Belonging
15:40 Societal Changes for Autistic Individuals
17:23 Conclusion
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