Abstract
In this paper, we report on a participatory oral history study documenting the lives of late-diagnosed autistic adults in Australia. We interviewed 26 autistic adults about their life history and the impact of late diagnosis. All were diagnosed after the age of 35, growing up in an era when autism was not well known. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we uncovered a rich body of reflections on shared Autistic identity and identified three major themes within that data set: ‘conceptualising the Autistic family’, ‘creating Autistic community’, and ‘contesting Autistic identity’. Overall, the study provides insights into the active creation of shared Autistic identity and the importance of Autistic community to these late-diagnosed autistic adults.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1146-1161 |
Number of pages | 16 |
Journal | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders |
Volume | 53 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 2023 |
Keywords
- Autism
- Community
- Family
- Identity
- Late-diagnosed adults
- Participatory research
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Developmental and Educational Psychology