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- Title
‘A way to be me’: Autobiographical reflections of autistic adults diagnosed in mid-to-late adulthood.
- Authors
Lilley, Rozanna; Lawson, Wenn; Hall, Gabrielle; Mahony, Joanne; Clapham, Hayley; Heyworth, Melanie; Arnold, Samuel R. C.; Trollor, Julian N.; Yudell, Michael; Pellicano, Elizabeth
- Abstract
In this article, we report on an oral history study documenting the lives of autistic adults in Australia. This qualitative study, co-produced with autistic researchers, offers insight into the lived experiences of autistic adults diagnosed in mid)to-late adulthood. Oral history methodology was utilised to understand the experiences of autistic adults who grew up in an era before autism was well-known. The 26 interviewees were born before 1975, receiving a clinical autism diagnosis after age 35 years. All interviews were conducted by autistic researchers, transcribed and thematically analysed by a team of autistic and non-autistic researchers using the six-step process outlined by Braun and Clarke. We identified four themes relating to perceptions of the self: being different, exploring identity, the suffering self and being Autistic. Some interviewees reported a direct relationship between trauma, negative self-conceptions and suffering. For most, formal diagnosis had positive impacts on sense of self, contributing to a greater focus on strengths. Contra research suggesting autistic impairments in self-awareness, these interviewees demonstrated a deep capacity for self-reflection, highlighting the variability of autistic lives and the socio-historical contexts that shape individual biographies, including experiences of stigma and discrimination as well as the empowering potential of identifying as autistic.
- Subjects
AUSTRALIA; DIAGNOSIS of autism; SELF-perception; DISCRIMINATION (Sociology); INTERVIEWING; SOCIAL stigma; QUALITATIVE research; PEOPLE with disabilities; THEMATIC analysis; REFLECTION (Philosophy); AUTOBIOGRAPHY; ADULTS
- Publication
Autism: The International Journal of Research & Practice, 2022, Vol 26, Issue 6, p1395
- ISSN
1362-3613
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1177/13623613211050694