Kuttainen, Victoria (2026) What Lies In Front of Us. Verity La, July 30, 2026.

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Abstract

This essay explores the lived consequences of growing up in a family affected by undiagnosed neurodivergence in a period when diagnostic language and support structures were largely unavailable. Through a hybrid form combining memoir, cultural reflection, and philosophical inquiry, the work examines how silence, stigma, and the absence of shared interpretive frameworks shaped family dynamics and caregiving responsibilities across generations. Drawing on Miranda Fricker’s concept of hermeneutic injustice, the essay situates personal experience within broader historical debates about autism diagnoses and recognition. By reconstructing these experiences through literary narrative, the work demonstrates how creative non-fiction can generate experiential knowledge about neurodivergence, family systems, and the ethical complexities of speaking about previously silenced histories.

Research Statement

Research Background	This essay forms part of a broader practice-led research project examining how narrative unveils forms of medical experience that historically lacked adequate diagnostic or cultural language. Drawing on scholarship in narrative inquiry, life writing, and philosophy, this engages with Miranda Fricker’s concept of hermeneutic injustice to explore how families experience harm when shared interpretive frameworks are absent. The essay situates these questions within the historical context of late twentieth-century diagnostic practices, when spectrum-related neurodevelopmental conditions were poorly recognised, particularly in females.
Research Contribution	Through a hybrid narrative combining memoir, cultural reflection, and philosophical analysis, the essay investigates the lived consequences of undiagnosed neurodivergence. It examines how silence, stigma, and the absence of diagnostic language shape family dynamics, caregiving responsibilities, and life trajectories. By situating personal experience within broader debates, the essay contributes new insight into what autism researchers have described as the “lost generation” of undiagnosed individuals who grew up before contemporary frameworks of neurodiversity.
Research Significance	The essay demonstrates how creative non-fiction can function as research by generating experiential knowledge about neurodivergence and family systems. By combining memoir with philosophical and cultural analysis, the work contributes to interdisciplinary conversations across literary studies, disability studies, and narrative ethics. Publication in Verity La, a widely read literary and cultural journal, extends these insights to both scholarly and public audiences and contributes to broader discussions about recognition, language, and care.
Item ID:	90950
Item Type:	Article (Creative Work)
Media of Output:	text
ISSN:	2200-6869
Keywords:	neurodiversity; hermeneutic injustice; memoir; family systems
Copyright Information:	© 2026 by Verity La and individual contributors. Reproduction in whole or in part is permitted if acknowledgement is made to Verity La. Images used on this site are sourced through Wikipedia Commons or similar providers, or are presented in this context for educative purposes only.
Sensitivity Note:	This work has been reviewed by sensitivity readers with lived experience of autism and by family members of autistic individuals and others on the spectrum.
Funders:	Roderick Centre for Australian Literature and Creative Writing
Date Deposited:	15 Sep 2026 05:48
FoR Codes:	36 CREATIVE ARTS AND WRITING > 3602 Creative and professional writing > 360201 Creative writing (incl. scriptwriting) @ 60% 42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4203 Health services and systems > 420399 Health services and systems not elsewhere classified @ 20% 47 LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE > 4705 Literary studies > 470514 Literary theory @ 20%
SEO Codes:	13 CULTURE AND SOCIETY > 1302 Communication > 130203 Literature @ 100%
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