Sara Luterman is the caregiving reporter at The 19th, based outside Washington, D.C., and a contributing editor at Radiolab. Previously, she worked as a freelance writer, and her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Nation and Vox.
Sara Luterman
Founder
NOS Magazine
From this contributor
Contentious study prompts backlash from autism researchers
Conflicts of interest and methodological issues sully a study published 18 July in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, autism researchers say.
Contentious study prompts backlash from autism researchers
By
Sara Luterman
11 August 2021 | 5 min read
Book Review: An autistic writer recounts the fun and futility of trying to fit in
In “I Overcame My Autism and All I Got Was This Lousy Anxiety Disorder,” Sarah Kurchak weaves together jagged honesty, funny anecdotes and occasionally painful doses of self-awareness.
Book Review: An autistic writer recounts the fun and futility of trying to fit in
By
Sara Luterman
13 October 2020 | 4 min read
Review: ‘Love on the Spectrum’ is kind, but unrepresentative
The Netflix series that follows 20-something autistic adults looking for love is well intentioned but fails to capture reality and is riddled with bad advice.
Review: ‘Love on the Spectrum’ is kind, but unrepresentative
By
Sara Luterman
18 August 2020 | 6 min read
Autistic people must not be denied access to ventilators
With life-saving gear in short supply during the pandemic, health authorities must ensure that disabled people are not pushed to the back of the line.
Autistic people must not be denied access to ventilators
By
Sara Luterman
5 May 2020 | 4 min read
Film review: Rare realism about autism in ‘The Limits of My World’
Heather Cassano's documentary about her autistic brother Brian is a thoughtful and empathetic look at life on the spectrum.
Film review: Rare realism about autism in ‘The Limits of My World’
By
Sara Luterman
8 October 2019 | 4 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Worms help untangle brain structure/function mystery
The synaptic connectome of most animals bears little resemblance to functional brain maps, but it can still predict neuronal activity, according to two preprints that tackle the puzzle in C. elegans.
Worms help untangle brain structure/function mystery
The synaptic connectome of most animals bears little resemblance to functional brain maps, but it can still predict neuronal activity, according to two preprints that tackle the puzzle in C. elegans.
By
Holly Barker
29 August 2025 | 7 min read
Microglia nurture young interneurons
The immune cells secrete a growth factor that “sets the supply of GABAergic interneurons in the developing brain.”
Microglia nurture young interneurons
The immune cells secrete a growth factor that “sets the supply of GABAergic interneurons in the developing brain.”
By
Lauren Schenkman
28 August 2025 | 4 min read
Xaq Pitkow shares his principles for studying cognition in our imperfect brains and bodies
Pitkow discusses how evolution's messy constraints shape optimal brain algorithms, from Bayesian inference to ecological affordances.
Xaq Pitkow shares his principles for studying cognition in our imperfect brains and bodies
Pitkow discusses how evolution's messy constraints shape optimal brain algorithms, from Bayesian inference to ecological affordances.
By
Paul Middlebrooks
27 August 2025 | 1 min read