Andréa Werner Silva Bonoli (born November 30, 1975) is a Brazilian journalist, politician, and activist for the rights of people with autism, and a member of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB). She has been a state deputy for São Paulo since 2022.
Early life and education Born in Belo Horizonte, the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, Andréa earned a degree in journalism from Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC-MG).
Personal life and the relationship with autism In 2010, after her son was diagnosed with autism, she began studying the condition and subsequently created the blog Lagarta Vira Pupa with the intention of sharing her experiences as the mother of a child with autism. The project gained prominence within the Brazilian autism community by addressing topics such as diagnosis, acceptance of autism, mental health, and policy. Andréa began speaking at autism events and on television programs, and in 2016, she published the book Lagarta Vira Pupa: A vida e os aprendizados ao lado de um lindo garotinho autista [Caterpillar becomes a pupa:Life and learnings beside a beautiful autistic boy]. In 2017, she published the children's book Meu amigo faz iiiii [My friend says 'iiii].
Werner was also a columnist for magazine, part of the Grupo Globo. In January 2021, Andréa Werner announced the founding of an organization called Instituto Lagarta Vira Pupa, made up of mothers of children with disabilities and women with disabilities, including those on the autism spectrum.
As an adult, Andréa was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In 2023, she underwent a new professional evaluation and publicly revealed that she had been diagnosed with autism.
Political career
Werner ran for federal deputy representing São Paulo for the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) in the 2018 Brazilian elections, campaigning on an agenda focused on the rights of people with disabilities. She received 43,142 votes but was not elected.
In 2020, Andréa Werner ran for city councilor in São Paulo on the PSOL ticket. She received 17,565 votes and was again not elected.
In 2021, Werner announced that she was leaving the PSOL and joining the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), alongside Márcio França and Marcelo Freixo, to increase her chances of being elected to public office. She ran for state representative for São Paulo in the 2022 elections''', and was elected with 88,820 votes. In 2026, she ran for federal deputy representing São Paulo. After receiving just over 45,000 votes, she was not elected to the office.
Electoral performance YearPositionPartyVotesResultRef.2018Federal Representative for São PauloPSOL43 1422020São Paulo City Councilmember17 5652022State deputy from São PauloPSB88 8202026Federal Representative for São Paulo45 627
Books Lagarta Vira Pupa: A vida e os aprendizados ao lado de um lindo garotinho autista. São Paulo: Vika Books, 2016. Meu amigo faz iiiii''. São Paulo: Pingue Pongue, 2017.
References