Stephen Mark Shore (born September 27, 1961)[2] is an Americanautistic professor of special education at Adelphi University.[3] He has written several books on autism: College for Students with Disabilities,[4]Understanding Autism for Dummies,[5]Ask and Tell,[6] and Beyond the Wall.[7] He serves on the board of controversial nonprofit Autism Speaks,[8] and is one of the first two openly autistic board members in its history.[9] He once headed the Asperger's Association of New England and was on the board of the Autism Society of America.[3]
Shore lost language skills at age 2 and a half, then started getting them back at four years old. He has been described[by whom?] as having a special interest in music. He has discussed difficulties with completing assignments presented in formats that he wasn't used to, leading him to transfer from a doctorate in music education to an ED.D. in special education with a focus on matching researched practice to individual profiles.[10]
His book, Ask and Tell, describes ways that autistic people can advocate for their needs.[11] His most popular[citation needed] two books, Beyond The Wall, and Ask and Tell were translated into Russian, Polish, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, Bengali and Vietnamese languages.[citation needed]
Shore has labeled the presentation of autistic traits following an early period of apparently typical neurological development "regressive autism"[12][13] and an "autism bomb."[2][13][14][15]
Most of us here today have involuntarily been inducted into this community by the autism [bomb]. What happens? A child is born and develops typically until 18 to 24 months, suddenly hit with a bomb that spreads its shrapnel from the child to the family, to education, the community, and humanity at large. The child loses verbal ability; withdrawal from the environment occurs. We often see self-abusive and self-stimulatory behaviors, tantrums. I was hit with that very same bomb at age 18 months with all those wonderful characteristics that we see going with it.[14]
In the 2006 book Understanding Autism for Dummies, Shore and his co-authors falsely speculated that such a presentation might be caused by certain vaccines (such as the MMR vaccine), certain vaccine ingredients (such as thiomersal) or too many vaccines given within a short period and suggested parents consider an alternative vaccination schedule.[16] A chapter in the book written by Andrew Wakefield collaborator[17]Jane El-Dahr also falsely suggested that thiomersal could cause mercury poisoning in autistic children and recommended chelation therapy as a potential remedy.[18]Temple Grandin, who wrote the book's foreword and who Shore wrote "read every chapter and made helpful suggestions,"[19] has also falsely speculated that vaccines may cause autism, especially in cases in which children become non-speaking after being vaccinated.[20][21][22][23]
It is scientific consensus that there is no link between any vaccine or vaccine ingredient and autism[24][25][26][27] and that chelation therapy is an unproven and potentially life-threatening autism treatment.[28][29][30] Autism is typically diagnosed between the ages of 18 and 24 months,[31] the same age range in which Shore told Congress the "autism bomb" detonates.[14]
In 2015, Shore and Valerie Paradiz became the first two openly autistic people to sit on the national board of directors of controversial[32][33][34] autism-focused nonprofit Autism Speaks.[9] At the time, Shore said he believed the organization was in a period of transition and stated the following:
After ten years of telling us, “[I]t’s time to listen,” Autism Speaks now visibly listening to people on the autism spectrum is a very good sign.[9]
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), an autistic-led nonprofit, stated that Shore and Paradiz's appointments did not rectify the damage the organization had done to the autistic community, signal an appreciation of that damage or reflect a willingness to change course. ASAN criticized Autism Speaks for systemically excluding autistic people from leadership, siphoning funds from local communities, spending a disproportionate amount of money on biomedical research and fundraising (while neglecting services and supports) and spreading "profoundly harmful language and rhetoric."[35]
Roughly two years before Shore and Paradiz joined its board of directors, autistic author John Elder Robison resigned from Autism Speaks' science and treatment advisory boards following a written statement made by cofounder Suzanne Wright that contained stigmatizing and pathologizing language and themes.[36] At the time of his resignation, Robison stated the following:
Autism Speaks says it’s the advocacy group for people with autism and their families. It’s not, despite having had many chances to become that voice. Autism Speaks is the only major medical or mental health nonprofit whose legitimacy is constantly challenged by a large percentage of the people affected by the condition they target.[37]
In response to the Shore and Paradiz appointments, Robison said he hoped Autism Speaks would adopt a more constructive focus and stated, "I wish Valerie and Stephen all the success in the world in moving Autism Speaks onto a healthier course."[38] Referring to Robison, Shore said that he and Paradiz stood "on the shoulders of giants."[9]
As of April 2025, ASAN's main points of criticism toward Autism Speaks hadn't changed. Further, ASAN noted that openly autistic members of the board still comprised a small minority (two of 29 members) and current and former representatives of major corporations comprised the majority (19 of 29 members).[39] As of September 2025, Shore still sits on Autism Speaks' board, although Paradiz does not.[40]
Shore acted as an advisor during the initial production of PBS Kids animated series Carl the Collector. The show's protagonist, Carl, and a supporting character, Lotta, are autistic.[41] It premiered in November 2024.[42]
↑ Shore, Stephen; Grandin, Temple (August 21, 2015). College for Students with Disabilities: We Do Belong (1ed.). Jessica Kingsley Publishers. ISBN9781849057325.
↑ Shore, Stephen (2004). Ask and tell: self-advocacy and disclosure for people on the autism spectrum. Autism Asperger Publishing Company. ISBN1931282587.
↑ Shore, Stephen (2003). Beyond the wall: personal experiences with autism and Asperger syndrome (2nded.). Shawnee Mission, Kan.: Autism Asperger Pub. ISBN1931282196.
↑ Shore, Stephen M.; Rastelli, Linda G. (2006). Understanding autism for dummies. --For dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. pp.109–128. ISBN978-0-7645-2547-6.
↑ Shore, Stephen M.; Rastelli, Linda G. (2006). Understanding autism for dummies. --For dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. ISBN978-0-7645-2547-6.
↑ Lagan, Niamh C.; Balfe, Joanne (July 14, 2018). "Question 2: Does heavy metal chelation therapy improve the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder". Archives of Disease in Childhood. 103 (9): 910–911. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2018-315338. ISSN1468-2044. PMID30007948.
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