He is a lecturer at the University of Kent as well as a consultant for the United Kingdom's National Autistic Society and has academic qualifications in sociology, psychology, philosophy, and education.
[2][3]: 13 Milton's interest in autism began when his son was diagnosed as autistic in 2005 at two years old.
[8][9][10] While the concept had existed in earlier discourse, dating back to arguments voiced by activists like Jim Sinclair since the 1990s, Milton named and significantly expanded on it.
His work is influenced by the social model of disability,[3]: 10–12 [7] and many of his publications deconstruct and critically analyse past theories.
For example, he has argued that self-stimulatory behavior (stimming) should be viewed positively and may help autistic people achieve flow states.