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  

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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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How Gorillas Helped Me Understand Humans – Dawn Prince-Hughes on Autism & Belonging

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