ERIC Number: EJ1347007
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Aug
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-3613
EISSN: EISSN-1461-7005
'A Way to Be Me': Autobiographical Reflections of Autistic Adults Diagnosed in Mid-to-Late Adulthood
Lilley, Rozanna; Lawson, Wenn; Hall, Gabrielle; Mahony, Joanne; Clapham, Hayley; Heyworth, Melanie; Arnold, Samuel R. C.; Trollor, Julian N.; Yudell, Michael; Pellicano, Elizabeth
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, v26 n6 p1395-1408 Aug 2022
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.
Descriptors: Autobiographies, Oral History, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Adults, Foreign Countries, Clinical Diagnosis, Self Concept, Trauma, Negative Attitudes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A