6. Epistemic Injustice and Language

This chapter explores why it had taken a long time before people considered testimonials of autistic people as valuable input of information. I analyse this as an example of epistemic injustice. I also elaborate on what this means to incorporate experiences of those who cannot express themselves very well in words, such as autistic people who do not use verbal language or people with an intellectual disability. I argue that this does not mean that these testimonials should be valued less, but that it is the moral duty of researchers, clinicians and ethicists to actively search for ways to take seriously testimonials that are a bit harder to understand or collect.