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 – [e-mail] 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