'I’m not mad, bad, and dangerous… simply wired differently': Exploring factors contributing to good quality of life with autistic women

Added on 01/11/2024

Type de contenu

Journal article of the type Scientific research ( ; english)

Arianna Paricos , Alexandra Sturrock , Katherine Twomey * , Kathy Leadbitter
'I’m not mad, bad, and dangerous… simply wired differently': Exploring factors contributing to good quality of life with autistic women published in the journal "Research in autism spectrum disorders" n°112, 13 pages , doi: 10.1016/j.rasd.2024.102338

*One co-author has publicly identified as autistic. [Learn more about this mention]

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Summary/Presentation

Background: There is increasing recognition of under-representation of autistic women in the academic literature and the impact of this on understanding, diagnosis, and support. Previous research has suggested that autistic women have poorer quality of life (QoL) than the general population. However, these findings have been established through use of QoL measures based on non-autistic norms and priorities.

Methods: This qualitative study used bottom-up, reflexive thematic analysis methods to explore how ten autistic women defined good QoL, and the factors identified as key to achieving this, using individual semi-structured interviews.

Results: Findings indicate four main themes that represent routes to good QoL: positive sense of self; feeling supported; autonomy; inclusion. Participants noted that being autistic itself was not a determinant of reduced QoL. Instead, participants’ QoL was underpinned by the extent to which participants understood themselves, others understood and accommodated their needs, and the person-environment fit.

Conclusions: The findings of this study align with a positive approach to neurological difference and have implications for diagnosis, post-diagnostic support and applications of current QoL measures for autistic women.

For your information:

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(3) Authors whose names are followed by an asterisk have publicly disclosed being autistic.

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