Sophia Silva de Mendonça (born February 6, 1997) is a Brazilian author and journalist. Considered one of the main voices on autism in women in Brazil, Sophia wrote the young adult chick lit novel Danielle, Asperger (2016), the journalistic book Neurodivergentes (2019) and hosts the channel Mundo Autista (Autistic World, 2015–present) on YouTube. In 2025, she returned to chick lit with The Influencer and The Critic, a romantic comedy.
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.
Early life and education 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).
Career 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.
Film criticism Mendonça debuted as a content creator in 2009, publishing film reviews on the website Cineplayers!. According to Nísio Teixeira, a professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), the reviews were characterized by language and resources such as direct irony and wordplay. The researcher recently noted that Sophia Mendonça's texts invited new perspectives in a history of film criticism in Belo Horizonte marked by male figures.
In 2025, she and Selma Sueli Silva launched a newsletter on Substack, titled Filmes Para Sempre, a guide to films and series, marking her return to the territory of cultural criticism. Her chick-lit novel The Influencer and the Critic is loosely inspired by her journey to becoming a literary critic. In 2026, she started co-hosting the podcast Boas de Conversa, which focuses on film reviews.
In 2026, Sophia Mendonça served on the jury of the literary contest that resulted in the book ''Bartolomeu Campos de Queirós na Escrita Jovem'', promoted by Literíssima Editora with the support of the Belo Horizonte City Hall. The competition's main objective was to encourage the creative output of young writers aged 14 to 21 from the capital of Minas Gerais, drawing inspiration from the legacy and work of author Bartolomeu Campos de Queirós. Alongside other literature experts, Mendonça was part of the curatorial team responsible for evaluating and selecting the 50 standout short stories included in the published collection.
Reception
Neurodiversity and Identity Construction 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.https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mixzaida-Yelitza-Pena-Zerpa/publication/405060884_EDUCACION_PARA_UNA_CIUDADANIA_CLIMATICA_ACTIVA_Y_RESILIENTE_UN_ENFOQUE_PEDAGOGICO_PARA_LA_ACCION_TRANSFORMADORA/links/6a0dd1f82e263f2f0774d65d/EDUCACION-PARA-UNA-CIUDADANIA-CLIMATICA-ACTIVA-Y-RESILIENTE-UN-ENFOQUE-PEDAGOGICO-PARA-LA-ACCION-TRANSFORMADORA.pdf#page=32 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.
Social Dynamics and Interpersonal Relationships 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.https://repositorio.ifsp.edu.br/server/api/core/bitstreams/74fa9ce8-0a60-4931-afe4-29edab2c7901/content
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.
Philosophy and Personal Transformation The influence of Buddhist philosophy and its role in personal transformation is frequently highlighted in Mendonça's reception. Writer Vera Golik draws a direct parallel between Daisaku Ikeda's appreciation for global dialogue and Mendonça's own trajectory: as an autistic woman who dealt with social phobia and interaction challenges, the author found in Buddhist practice and journalism the tools to develop her communication skills and her connection with society. For Golik, Mendonça's work establishes itself as a materialization of the transformative potential and hope represented by youth. Camargos Jr also notes the role of Buddhist philosophy in her early accounts, identifying it as a practical tool used by the author to seek balance and alleviate existential conflicts.
Impact