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
Going against the gut: Q&A with Kevin Mitchell on the autism-microbiome theory
A new review of 15 years of studies on the connection between the microbiome and autism reveals widespread statistical and conceptual errors.
Going against the gut: Q&A with Kevin Mitchell on the autism-microbiome theory
A new review of 15 years of studies on the connection between the microbiome and autism reveals widespread statistical and conceptual errors.
By
Lauren Schenkman
13 November 2025 | 7 min read
Timing tweak turns trashed fMRI scans into treasure
Leveraging start-up “dummy scans,” which are typically discarded in imaging analyses, can shorten an experiment’s length and make data collection more efficient, a new study reveals.
Timing tweak turns trashed fMRI scans into treasure
Leveraging start-up “dummy scans,” which are typically discarded in imaging analyses, can shorten an experiment’s length and make data collection more efficient, a new study reveals.
By
Angie Voyles Askham
13 November 2025 | 6 min read
Perimenopause: An important—and understudied—transition for the brain
Many well-known perimenopause symptoms arise in the brain, but we still know little about the specific mechanisms at play. More research—in both animals and humans—is essential.
Perimenopause: An important—and understudied—transition for the brain
Many well-known perimenopause symptoms arise in the brain, but we still know little about the specific mechanisms at play. More research—in both animals and humans—is essential.
By
Marija Kundakovic
12 November 2025 | 6 min read