Michelle Espinosa, an autistic researcher and filmmaker, applies a critical, neurodivergent perspective to consciousness and autism studies through both scholarship and pedagogy. Her original Filling in the Corpus paper employs autoethnography, critical discourse analysis, and comparative interpretive methods to examine dominant framings of autism. It reveals how ableist language and normative assumptions in research pathologize difference, while recognizing neurodivergent consciousness as an equally valid form of awareness enriches theoretical models. Core concepts include the mirror neuron system, predictive processing, and simulation across neurotypes, challenging the “broken mirror” model and advocating for epistemic justice, methodological pluralism, and first-person phenomenology.

Building on these insights, Espinosa developed an 8-week augmented reality (AR) educational course that transforms her research into an experiential learning environment. The course allows participants to explore consciousness, neurodivergence, and epistemic justice through immersive, interactive modules that illustrate alternative architectures of awareness. By bridging first-person experience with evidence-based theory, the AR course makes abstract concepts tangible, fostering understanding and empathy among learners of diverse backgrounds and expertise.

Together, these works advance both scholarship and pedagogy: the original paper challenges entrenched assumptions in consciousness research, while the AR course translates these insights into an innovative, accessible educational model. Both projects emphasize inclusion, pluralistic methodologies, and critical reflection, offering attendees a unique opportunity to engage with neurodivergent perspectives in theory and practice. Espinosa’s approach demonstrates how research-informed pedagogy, enhanced by technology, can meaningfully expand understanding of consciousness and autism while modeling inclusive, experiential learning for scholars and practitioners alike.