Sophia Mendonça

She is also active as an author of biographies, having written the book "Ikeda, um Século de Humanismo (Ikeda, a Century of Humanism, 2020), which chronicles the trajectory of Japanese Soka Gakkai Buddhist leader Daisaku Ikeda. In 2024, Mendonça created the series of reports Courtney Love e o Autismo (Courtney Love and Autism, 2024), which tells the life of singer and actress Courtney Love from the autism's point of view. Her critically acclaimed book Metamorfoses (Metamorphoses, 2023), the result of her research at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, addresses the experience of being autistic and trans and how this affects communication and sociability between individuals and groups. In 2023, she appeared on Max and Discovery reality series Transgender Twins.

Sophia Mendonça studied at Federal University of Minas Gerais. The recorded working language is English and Brazilian Portuguese. Judith Butler, Isabela Boscov and Ida Lucia Machado are recorded as an influence. Employment is recorded with Federal University of Minas Gerais, Revista Autismo and Introvertendo. Distinctions recorded are order, title of honor, hall of fame and grade of an order.

• Name — Sophia Mendonça • Born — 6 February 1997 • Birthplace — Belo Horizonte, Brasil • Occupation — Author • Period — 2009–present • Genre — Novel, Journalism, Chick-lit, Biography, Romantic Comedy, Memoir • Movement — Autism rights movement • Notable Works — Mundo Autista • Subject — Autism, Neurodiversity, Literature

Mendonça was diagnosed with asperger syndrome at the age of 11, which led her to having an interest in the process of socialization and how people communicate with each other. She has been a film critic since 2009. During her years in university studying for a degree in communication, she wrote a blog named Tudo Bem Ser Different (It's Okay To Be Different) and was the host on the University Center of Belo Horizonte weekly radio program Mundo Asperger. In 2022, Mendonça went on to receive a master's degree in communication, territorialities and vulnerabilities from the Federal University of Minas Gerais. In the next year, she began her doctorate in literature at the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel).

In her first year at college, Mendonça wrote her first book over the course of six months titled Outro Olhar – Reflexões de Um Autista (Another Look – Reflections of an Autistic). Outro Olhar recounts facts from the author's past and shows how mundane situations become complex due to her condition. Mendonça debuted in fiction with the young adult novel Danielle, Asperger (2016). It tells the story of an autistic teenager and her encounter with her favorite actress, a character based on actress Lindsay Lohan. In 2019, she released the book-report Neurodivergentes. The work argues that autism is not a disease, but rather a "variation of brain connectivity". The book is structured in three chapters: "Intelligence and Neurodiversity", "Autism in the Feminine" and "Means of Communication". Since 2015, alongside her mother, journalist Selma Sueli Silva, she has maintained the YouTube channel Mundo Autista (Autistic World), which later expanded into other media formats, such as articles and podcast episodes. It later became a newsgroup of the same name in partnership with the UAI news portal. She completed the master's degree at Federal University of Minas Gerais in March 2022, with her thesis being titled "A interseccionalidade entre autismo e transgeneridade: diálogos afetivos no Twitter" ("The intersectionality between autism and transgenderity: affective dialogues on Twitter"). The thesis gave rise to the book Metamorfoses, which was defined as "an important compilation on autism, gender diversity and affections". She continued to conduct journalism work in similar topic areas, founding alongside her mother first the YouTube channel Mundo Autista and then other social media, before creating the newsgroup of the same name in partnership with the news portal UAI. In 2022, she directed and hosted the podcast episode Amores (a)Típicos, which featured actresses Isabela Garcia and Ju Colombo portraying autistic characters addressing their romantic relationships. In 2023, Mendonça had a recurring role in the documentary series Transgender Twins, distributed by HBO.

Much of the critical reception of Mendonça's work focuses on her authentic portrayal of neurodivergence and identity. In his doctoral thesis, researcher Igor Ries characterizes her writing as a sharing of the self with the collective, arguing that the author occupies a protagonist role in social spaces historically underrepresented by both autistic and transgender individuals. According to his analysis, by positioning herself as an active subject in the narratives surrounding autism, Mendonça demonstrates a practice of "care for oneself and for others". Orestes Diniz Neto, a Psychology professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), evaluated her work as an important account of the process of constructing the subjectivity of a person on the autism spectrum. He notes that Mendonça addresses dilemmas typical of youth that take on new contours when experienced through a neurodivergent condition. Diniz Neto observes that her narrative invites the reader to observe everyday life from a new perspective, questioning the concept of "normality". Similarly, journalist Paulo Fortunato noted that her fiction offers a glimpse into the daily life of an autistic teenager, acting as a narrative about dreams, identity, and the search for a place in the world. Fortunato observes that Mendonça challenges common misconceptions of "mild" autism by exploring the profound emotional complexities of the condition, including constant self-criticism, anxiety, low self-esteem, social phobia, and eating disorders. She also notes how the protagonist's refuge in entertainment, such as a fascination with soap opera villains, illustrates the power of art as a means of escapism and understanding. Psychiatrist Walter Camargos Jr highlights the precision with which the author describes her psychological framework, demonstrating how ordinary everyday experiences can become significant challenges for neurodivergent individuals. He emphasizes the importance the author places on diagnosis and medical treatment in building a future with better prospects. Camargos also points out an important social reflection raised by Mendonça: the irony regarding rigidity of thought, a trait clinically attributed to autistic people, but which the author identifies in neurotypical individuals given their difficulty in accepting differences. Researchers Marcos Maurício Gondim Gomes and Silvio Cesar de Souza Cabral wrote that the accounts of Mendonça are fundamental to understanding the experiences regarding autism and gender assumption. Based on the experiences shared by Mendonça, the researchers highlight the challenges faced by this group and emphasize the importance of pedagogical support as an essential means of integrating this demographic into education and society. For researcher Ghael Leite, the book Metamorfoses (and the thesis from which it originated) plays an important role in challenging the static frameworks traditionally reproduced by mainstream media. According to him, by analyzing the interactions and affective dialogues on Twitter, Mendonça's investigation manages to deeply reveal the complexities existing at the intersection of the autism spectrum and gender diversity.

The representation of social relationships, family dynamics, and the female experience is another prominent theme in the analysis of Mendonça's literature. Reviewing Danielle, Asperger, Camargos Jr described it as a work centered on a "world of women." He highlights the narrative driven by the interaction between three central female figures: an adolescent, her mother, and a famous actress on a path of self-destruction. The dynamic results in a role reversal where the adolescent, initially viewed as "seemingly less capable", assumes a maternal and therapeutic function for the older artist. The relationship between autism, adolescence, and social camouflaging present in Mendonça's literary work has also been the subject of academic analysis. In her doctoral dissertation, Andreia Costa pointed out that the author delves deeper into this theme in the novel Danielle, Asperger (2016), through a fictional narrative featuring an autistic teenage protagonist. In an autobiographical context, critics point out the work's approach to the challenges within the school environment and social conflicts, which are counterbalanced by the relevance of family support. About Danielle, Asperger, Fernanda Milagres notes the protagonist's journey through difficult situations such as family and social conflict, personal crises, depression, and anxiety. Fortunato also emphasizes how Mendonça's narrative underscores the necessity of family acceptance, illustrating this through the contrast between a mother's constant encouragement and a father's initial denial of the autism diagnosis. By sharing these vulnerabilities, Diniz Neto emphasizes that the work acts as a facilitator of empathy, promoting dialogue and the building of bridges between different ways of perceiving, feeling, and existing in society.

According to researchers Luana Adriano and Valéria Aydos, Mendonça authored the first book on neurodiversity published in Brazil, Neurodivergentes (2019). In 2026, she was ranked 56th on EduRank's list of 63 notable alumni from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.

She only found out she was autistic at the age of 13, two years after she was diagnosed. In 2021 in an interview with the university newspaper for the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Mendonça said that this diagnosis was liberating, but that the biggest "ghost" that accompanied her in life was not autism, but gender dysphoria, which is why she began to feel happier after her gender transition in 2020, since she sees gender expression as a way to communicate primarily with herself. She had gender reassignment surgery in June 2022. Since 2015, she has been a member of Soka Gakkai International, a Buddhist organization

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2015 — Mundo Asperger — Host • 2015-present — Mundo Autista D&I — Co-host — with Selma Sueli Silva • 2019 — Para sempre Arte — Host • 2019 — Qual é a sua vida? — Panelist • 2020 — De Brincadeira — Co-host — with Raquel Romano • 2020 — Introvertendo — Reporter • 2022 — Amores (a)típicos — Co-host — with Marcos Maia • 2022 — Rádio Vivo — Panelist • 2022 — Dazumana — Panelist • 2022 — Espectros — Panelist • 2022 — Vozes da Maturidade — Co-host — with Selma Sueli Silva • 2022 — TransParente — Co-host — with Selma Sueli Silva • 2024 — Constituição Cidadã — Panelist • 2025 — A Influenciadora e o Crítico — Writer • 2026 — Tramando — Panelist • 2026-present — Boas de Conversa — Co-host — with Selma Sueli Silva

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2015–present — Mundo Autista — YouTuber • 2020 — Brasil das Gerais — Panelist • 2021 — AutWork — Creator — Short documentary • 2023 — Desvendando mitos e verdades sobre o autismo — Host • 2023 — Transgender Twins — Herself — Recurring role

Sophia Mendonça is recorded with the occupation television presenter. Recorded with the occupation Internet celebrity. Recorded with the occupation film director. Recorded as writer, television presenter, internet celebrity, journalist and researcher.