Autism最新文献

{"title":"'A New Pace of Life': A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Retirement Plans, Preparations and Experiences in Middle-Aged and Older Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults.","authors":"Zuzanna Kowalczyk, Ahna Huwaida Ahmad Fadzil, Isabel Ward, Francesca Happé, Gavin R Stewart","doi":"10.1177/13623613261431925","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613261431925","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Retirement is a major life change affecting routines, finances and wellbeing. Autistic adults may face extra challenges during this transition due to employment barriers, limited support and planning difficulties. However, little is known about their retirement experiences compared to non-autistic adults. This mixed-methods study surveyed 517 adults from the United Kingdom (autistic <i>n</i> = 395), aged 40-90 years, about their retirement status, plans, experiences, employment history, income and financial security. Actual or expected retirement ages were similar across groups, but autistic adults were less likely to have made plans and more likely to have plans disrupted by financial, health or personal factors. They also reported lower rates of full-time work, reduced pensions and lower pre-retirement income. Many highlighted a lack of information about pensions and lifestyle planning. Concerns included isolation, loss of routine and financial worries, but some looked forward to more autonomy and time for self-care, leisure activities and interests. While there were many similarities between the autistic and non-autistic groups, our study found that autistic adults may reach retirement differently due to unique work histories, health needs and planning barriers. Tailored, accessible support is needed to help autistic adults plan for financial stability and meaningful post-retirement lives.Lay abstractRetirement is a major life change, but very little is known about how autistic adults experience this transition. This study explored retirement experiences/expectations of both autistic and non-autistic adults, finding that retirement happened or was expected to happen at similar ages across groups. However, autistic adults were less likely to plan for retirement and often had more difficulties with jobs, money, pensions and their health. Many felt unsure how to prepare for retirement and wanted clearer information. While some had concerns about isolation and changes to routine, others looked forward to more freedom and time for hobbies. The findings highlight the need for better support to help autistic people plan for retirement.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1330-1343"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13087168/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147572007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impacts of Knowledge and Familiarity on Differences in Explicit Stigma and Implicit Biases Toward Autism Across France.","authors":"Camille Mazouffre, Florian Laronze, Anouck Amestoy, Bernard N'kaoua","doi":"10.1177/13623613261427571","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613261427571","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Autistic people frequently experience stigma that can be expressed whether consciously or unconsciously. This study examined how familiarity with autistic people, factual knowledge about autism, sociodemographic characteristics, and cultural value orientations relate to three facets of autism stigma: desired social distance, stereotypical beliefs, and implicit bias. French adults (<i>N</i> = 277) completed online measures of autism knowledge, familiarity, social distance, and stereotypes, a cultural orientation scale, and an Implicit Association Test assessing automatic evaluations of autism. Results showed that familiarity and knowledge about autism were both associated with lower explicit stigma, while only familiarity was linked to a reduction in implicit prejudice. Moreover, the regression analysis has shown that the different constructs of stigma evaluated in our study (social distance, stereotype, and implicit bias) were predicted by different variables. Particularly, social distance was predicted by stronger stereotypes, male gender, and more individualistic values, whereas stereotypes were higher among older, less-educated participants with limited knowledge, less familiarity, and greater social distance. Implicit bias was higher among men, participants endorsing vertical collectivism, and those with lower levels of intimate familiarity. These results were discussed within the framework of multidimensional approaches to assessing and reducing stigmatization in a French sociocultural context.Lay AbstractAutistic people often face stigma, which means they may be judged or treated unfairly by others. This stigma can appear in different ways, such as wanting to keep distance from autistic people, holding negative beliefs about them, or having automatic negative reactions without being aware of it (unconscious). This study explored which factors are linked to these different forms of stigma in adults living in France. We focused on how much people know about autism, whether they have personal experience with autistic people, as well as personal and cultural values, and how all these factors influence stigma. The results show that people who know more about autism and who have more contact with autistic people tend to express fewer negative beliefs and are more comfortable interacting with them. However, only close personal contact was linked to fewer automatic negative reactions. The study also shows that different forms of stigma are influenced by different factors such as male gender and less-educated people, meaning stigma is not a single, simple issue. These findings suggest that reducing stigma requires sharing knowledge about autism, but other factors must be taken into account. Encouraging meaningful and positive contact with autistic people, while also taking cultural and social factors into account, may be important for improving attitudes and inclusion in everyday life.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1263-1277"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147572054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Short report: Autistic adults' perceptions of gender, autism, and policing in the United States.","authors":"Meredith Cola, Aili Hauptmann, Alison Russell, Dieu M Truong, Ashlee Yates Flanagan, Kimberly G Tena, Juan Pacheco, Ashley Zitter, Azia Knox, Maggie Rose Pelella, Lizzy Fulop, Maxine Covello, Amanda Lee, Margaret Lyons, Sarah Schillinger, Rita Solórzano, Sinan Turnacioglu, Vijay Ravindran, Judith S Miller, Joseph P McCleery, Julia Parish-Morris","doi":"10.1177/13623613251395539","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251395539","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Autistic individuals face increased risk during police interactions in the United States, including injury and death. Research shows police behave inequitably during interactions with marginalized communities and may behave even more inequitably toward individuals with multiple minoritized identities. Many autistic people also identify as gender diverse. However, it is largely unknown if or how autistic adults' perceptions of police differ by gender identity. We examined autistic adults' perceptions of policing, autism, and gender using an online questionnaire. Results revealed significant differences across gender groups (cis women, cis men, gender diverse) in perceptions of justice, comfort in disclosing diagnosis, helpfulness of diagnostic disclosure, influence of gender, and concern that one's autistic traits would be misperceived as dangerous. These findings align with widespread calls for police reform and suggest current policing practices likely do not meet the needs of all autistic individuals, particularly autistic cis women and gender diverse individuals, who are more likely to report their gender has influenced police interactions and more concerned that their autistic characteristics are being misperceived, relative to autistic cis men. Reducing the harm marginalized groups face because of systemic inequities in the current policing system is a critical need that could enhance safety for autistic individuals.Lay abstractAutistic people in the United States are at a higher risk of injury or death when they interact with the police. Research has shown that police often treat people from minoritized communities unfairly, and this can be even worse for people who belong to more than one minoritized group, like being both autistic and gender diverse. Many autistic people also identify as gender diverse. However, we do not yet know if autistic people's views of police may differ across gender identities. In this study, we explored how autistic adults view police and if those views differ across different gender identities. We found that autistic adults with different gender identities have different views on things like justice, how comfortable they feel telling police about their autism diagnosis, whether they think telling the police about their diagnosis would be helpful, how they think their gender affects police behavior, and whether they worry that their autistic traits might be seen as dangerous. These results may indicate that the current policing practices may not take into account autistic individuals' unique perspectives and experiences, particularly when police are interacting with autistic women and gender diverse people. It is important that we make changes to reduce the harm that autistic people face because of unfairness in the current policing system using feedback from autistic individuals. This could make things safer for all autistic people. Our results suggest it could be beneficial for police officers to receive","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1368-1377"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12742568/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145767000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Expanding the autism evidence base: Strategies to increase participant representation.","authors":"Maira Tafolla, Catherine Lord","doi":"10.1177/13623613251393505","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251393505","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There is a lack of representation of racially diverse individuals who are multilingual from low-income households in autism research. This calls into question the generalizability of research findings derived from predominantly White, English-speaking samples. In this article, we bring forth an important argument about why we as an autism field should work to expand representation in research samples. We also discuss strategies that can be used to work toward this goal. We detail the recruitment and retention of 94 Spanish-English bilingual Latinx (primarily Mexican and Central American) families from low-income households across a large urban city and its surrounding communities in the United States for an assessment validation study. We use the method of this study as an example of how to engage and include underrepresented populations in autism research, describing the efforts that were implemented to engage families and community-based organizations serving this population. We conclude the report by summarizing culturally sensitive strategies researchers can use to engage populations of different races and ethnicities from low-income households in their own research studies, in hopes of increasing representation in the autism science field and ensuring that research findings are applicable across populations, including those who have been historically underrepresented.Lay AbstractIndividuals of different races and identities from low-income households and their families are not adequately represented in research. This makes it difficult to know whether autism research findings apply to traditionally underserved individuals of color, since participants included in studies are usually White and speak English. We use our own study, where we successfully recruited 94 Spanish-English bilingual participants who are from Mexico and Central America but are currently living in the United States in low-income households for an assessment study, as an example to describe the strategies that were helpful to recruit participants with these sociodemographic characteristics. We end the article by discussing strategies that are culturally appropriate for researchers to consider when working with autistic populations of color who are from predominantly low-income households and their families.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1380-1390"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145660021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Good intentions are not enough: Autistic perspectives on structural ableism within the walls of our classrooms.","authors":"Nicole Nadwodny, Ben VanHook, Brady Esham, Luna N Larsen, Sarah Levinson, Abbey Eisenhower","doi":"10.1177/13623613261426691","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613261426691","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to examine how structural ableism affects autistic learners by collecting first-person perspectives of current and former autistic students about how their school experiences shaped their ability to self-advocate. In addition, the study aimed to further highlight autistic perspectives by incorporating a community-participatory research design, which consisted of a primarily autistic research team. Participants consisted of 19 autistic adolescents and adults who represented a wide array of intersectional sociodemographic identities. Participants were engaged in a 90-min semi-structured interview to discuss their school experiences. Interviews were analyzed qualitatively and inductively through a critical constructivist approach to grounded theory. Data analysis highlighted many structural barriers to autistic self-advocacy for our participants. These barriers were described within six distinct domains which emerged as themes in our analysis: erasure, conformity, isolation, oppression, hidden expectations, and authority. This qualitative, community-participatory research study exposes the degree to which systems-level ableism exists within US K-12 systems. Specifically, our participants emphasized ableism that went beyond the individual or interpersonal level. We conclude with a series of recommendations on how to combat these manifestations of ableism in schools.Lay summaryThe goal of this study was to ask current and former autistic students about their school experiences and self-advocacy. Self-advocacy means being able to ask for what you need and to make your own choices. Nineteen autistic students were interviewed about self-advocacy at school. These autistic students told the research team that schools often made it hard for them to self-advocate. They also told the research team that schools were ableist, meaning that they did not respect the rights of disabled people. This study is important because it shows ways in which schools do not support autistic people and recommends ways for schools to treat autistic people better. This study is also important because the research team was mostly autistic. The expertise of autistic researchers on our team helped us create research that highlights autistic people's voices.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1176-1190"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13087158/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147430687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A qualitative evaluation of cognitive-behavioural therapy components for social anxiety in autistic adults: Lived experiences from a modified group program.","authors":"Bruna B Roisenberg, Kelsie A Boulton, Emma E Thomas, Nina Perry, Dorothy Yu, Adam J Guastella","doi":"10.1177/13623613261424830","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613261424830","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment for social anxiety. However, despite the high prevalence of social anxiety among autistic adults, much less is known about how autistic people experience each CBT component used in treatment. This qualitative study explores autistic adults' perspectives on a modified cognitive-behaviour therapy group programme for social anxiety, focusing on the perceived effectiveness of CBT components and the identification of needed modifications. Twenty-seven participants who completed the intervention took part in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis identified core themes related to therapeutic impact (application of CBT group strategies) and participant experiences (suggestions for future iterations of social groups). Overall, exposure tasks were viewed as helpful in reducing anxiety, particularly when structured and predictable. Cognitive restructuring was often experienced as effective; however, its impact was sometimes limited by persistent and deeply held core beliefs and past negative experiences. Social strategies and anxiety management skills were appreciated for their structured format and educational elements, but generalizability was sometimes raised as a limitation. Participants also recommended additional adaptations, including flexibility in content delivery and modifications to the physical environment. Findings highlight overall support of cognitive-therapy components for reducing social anxiety in adults, but also benefit to tailoring CBT approaches to theneeds of autistic adults. Results from this study offer practical guidance from autistic people to enhance the acceptability and effectiveness of future CBT interventions.Lay abstractMany autistic adults experience social anxiety, making everyday interactions feel stressful or overwhelming. To help with this, clinical researchers developed a group therapy programme based on cognitive-behaviour therapy adapted for autistic adults. While cognitive-behaviour therapy is commonly used to treat anxiety, there has been relatively little research into how autistic people experience group-based versions of this therapy. This study aimed to understand how participants felt about the programme and how it could be improved. The intervention included eight group sessions where participants learned about social anxiety and autism, social strategies and took part in guided activities to build confidence. The programme encouraged a supportive environment where autistic individuals could safely try out new ways of connecting with others without feeling pressure to hide who they are. To understand how helpful the programme was, researchers interviewed participants about their experiences. Many said the programme helped them feel more confident and less anxious in social situations. For example, they found role-playing in a safe group setting especially useful. Participants also appreciated that the therapy was adapted to suit th","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1147-1164"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13087169/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147509464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing Social Identity in Autistic Individuals: Evaluating A Self-Report Questionnaire in the Netherlands.","authors":"Lisa Jg Krijnen, Ralph Ca Rippe, Sander Begeer, Rachel D Plak","doi":"10.1177/13623613261431269","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613261431269","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;People with autism often face mental health difficulties at rates far exceeding those of the general population. How autistic individuals relate to their autism classification and the autistic community, also known as &lt;i&gt;social identity&lt;/i&gt;, may form a protective factor for mental health. However, validated tools to assess social identity in autistic populations are lacking. This study aims to evaluate the Dutch version of the 14-item Social Identity in Autism Questionnaire (SIAQ) and examine associations between social identity and demographic, autism-related, and mental health variables. A total of 1443 autistic individuals from the Netherlands (mean age = 47 years, 54% women, 98% Dutch) completed the SIAQ and measures assessing demographics, autism characteristics, and mental health. Factor analyses revealed a four-factor structure: &lt;i&gt;solidarity&lt;/i&gt; (three items, feelings of connection to people with autism), &lt;i&gt;satisfaction&lt;/i&gt; (four items, positive feelings about being autistic), &lt;i&gt;centrality&lt;/i&gt; (three items, the importance of autism to one's sense of self), and &lt;i&gt;self-definition&lt;/i&gt; (four items, perceived similarity to other autistic people and within the autistic community). Internal consistency was acceptable to excellent. Measurement invariance (scalar level) was found across age, gender, education level, ethnicity, and autism traits. Furthermore, the four factors of social identity were differentially related to age, gender, language preference, time since diagnosis, and autism traits. Higher satisfaction and lower centrality were related to better mental health. To conclude, the SIAQ forms a robust tool to assess social identity in autistic individuals in the Netherlands.Lay AbstractPeople with autism experience mental health challenges much more often than people in the general population. Understanding how autistic people relate to their autism and the autistic community - called autistic &lt;i&gt;social identity&lt;/i&gt; - may form an important factor for mental health. However, the lack of reliable tools to measure social identity in autistic people led to this study evaluating the Dutch version of the Social Identity in Autism Questionnaire (SIAQ). Associations between social identity and demographics, autism traits, and mental health were studied. Autistic individuals from the Netherlands (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 1443, average age = 47 years; 54% women; 98% Dutch) completed the SIAQ. The results showed that the questionnaire captures four key aspects of social identity: solidarity (feeling connected to other autistic people), satisfaction (positive feelings about being autistic), centrality (how central autism is to one's identity), and self-definition (seeing oneself as similar to other autistic people and perceiving the autistic community as relatively similar). The questionnaire was reliable as well as suitable to use across diverse groups, including variations in age, gender, education level, ethnicity, and autism traits. Several aspects o","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1317-1329"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13087165/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147615506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Maternal And Paternal Differences in Parental Stress and Children's Autistic Features Among Parents of Preschool Autistic Children.","authors":"James Rufus John, Anna Chua, Valsamma Eapen","doi":"10.1177/13623613261427131","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613261427131","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Parents of autistic children experience varying levels of stress, with only few studies examining gender-specific differences and their determinants. This study examined the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with stress among mothers and fathers of preschool-aged autistic children in Australia. Data were analysed from 516 parents of preschool-aged autistic children enrolled in six Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres. Multilevel regression models assessed associations between maternal and paternal stress and sociodemographic factors, parental quality of life, and child's clinical characteristics, while adjusting for key covariates, and accounting for clustering of parent responses within children. Among the sample, 465 mothers and 216 fathers completed the Parental Stress Index-Fourth Edition-Short Form questionnaire, representing 516 unique children, with some children having responses from both parents. Findings showed that culturally and linguistically diverse status was protective against stress for both parents, but higher level of education was protective only against maternal stress. Maternal stress was influenced by a broad range of child's autistic traits, including behavioural differences, social communication, repetitive behaviours and adaptive functioning, whereas paternal stress was only associated with behavioural differences. These findings highlight gender-specific factors affecting stress and reinforce the need for tailored supports for families of autistic preschool children.Lay AbstractMany parents of autistic children experience high levels of stress. While mothers and fathers may face these challenges differently, only a few studies have explored gender-specific differences in parental stress. This study looked at the factors linked to stress in both mothers and fathers of preschool-aged autistic children in Australia. We analysed data from 516 parents whose children were enrolled in six Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres nationwide in Australia. Mothers reported higher overall stress than fathers. Parents from a culturally and linguistically diverse background or those who had higher education levels tended to report lower stress. On the other hand, greater child behavioural difficulties, challenges in social communication and poorer parental quality of life were linked to higher stress levels. These findings highlight the need for tailored, culturally sensitive supports for families, especially during the early years when children are starting intervention and parents are adapting to new caregiving demands.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1191-1205"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13087155/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147509443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Grief, Relief, and Belief: A Social Media Study on Late Identification of Neurodivergence.","authors":"Ally Pax Arcari Mair, Marina Gonzalez-Figueroa, Doug McConachie, Karen Goodall, Karri Gillespie-Smith","doi":"10.1177/13623613261437916","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613261437916","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Little is known as to what drives feelings of grief and relief observed following the late identification of neurodivergence, and its significance as it relates to sense of self and self-understanding. As such, this study considers how grief is understood and experienced by neurodivergent individuals in the context of late identification. This study used qualitative content analysis to identify themes from 225 public social media posts discussing grief and relief in relation to a late identification. With a sample focused mainly on autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and both co-occurring, four main themes, under an overarching theme and process, titled the Grief, Relief, and Belief Cycle, were identified: (1) The Life I Could Have Had; (2) Grieving for My Younger Self; (3) Feeling Gratitude; and (4) Post-Diagnosis Burnout. Overall, this study calls for a paradigm shift in how we understand and support neurodivergent individuals diagnosed in adulthood, seeing diagnosis as a first step, rather than a terminal component of a service, emphasising the need for comprehensive, individualised, wraparound care that addresses the emotional and practical aspects of their lives before, during, and beyond diagnosis.Lay AbstractLittle is known as to why some individuals may experience feelings of grief and relief following late identification, by clinical diagnosis or self-identification, of neurodivergence (e.g. autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and how this relates to their sense of self. This study looks at how grief is understood and experienced by late-identified neurodivergent individuals using qualitative content analysis to analyse social media posts discussing grief in relation to late identification. A total of 225 public social media posts were analysed. These posts were mostly made by people who identified as autistic, having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or both. Four main themes and one overarching theme and process were identified. The overarching theme was named the Grief, Relief, and Belief Cycle, and the four themes were (1) The Life I Could Have Had; (2) Grieving for My Younger Self; (3) Feeling Gratitude; and (4) Post-Diagnosis Burnout. Theme 1 highlights the sense of loss and regret some late-identified neurodivergent individuals' experience. Theme 2 explores the ways in which late identified neurodivergent individuals look at their past experiences with this newfound understanding of their neurodivergence. Theme 3 highlights the experiences of relief and gratitude these individuals have for the self-understanding that they discuss coming with their diagnosis. Theme 4 emphasises the intense emotional and physical toll and lack of available support that people can experience when their neurodivergence is identified later in life. Overall, this study emphasises the need for comprehensive, individualised, and ongoing care that addresses the emotional and practical aspects of individuals' liv","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1344-1359"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13087149/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147615541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Camouflaging and autism: Conceptualisation and methodological issues.","authors":"Wayne M Arnold, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher F Sharpley","doi":"10.1177/13623613261420085","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613261420085","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It has been suggested that there is poor clarity of the 'camouflaging' concept in autism research, and potential confounding of its measurement tools, such as the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q). A critical review of 389 studies was conducted to investigate these potential conceptual and methodological issues. The findings question whether the same construct has been investigated across studies, as there is inconsistency in: (a) which terms are used; (b) reference made to established conceptual literature; (c) how terms are used (e.g. interchangeably or distinctly); and (d) how terms are defined. Although the CAT-Q has excellent reliability, there is mixed support for its validity, which is evidenced by its confounding by other constructs (e.g. social anxiety) and its limited autism-specificity. The validity of informant discrepancy measures of camouflaging is also questioned due to insufficient reference to established methodology. Finally, the generalisability of camouflaging to the overall autistic population is unclear due to: (a) overrepresentation of autistic females diagnosed during adulthood; and (b) underrepresentation of autistic people with co-occurring intellectual or language difficulties, and those with greater support needs. These issues are considered both in terms of their clinical relevance and how future research might resolve them.Lay AbstractMany autistic people have reported using 'camouflaging' strategies to adapt or cope within the non-autistic social world and avoid being negatively judged by other people. However, many terms have been used synonymously with camouflaging, such as masking, compensation and impression management. Due to this confusion about which terms to use, there is some suggestion that there is poor clarity and understanding of the camouflaging concept, and that this may contribute to inaccuracy of the tools used to measure this behaviour. We review 389 previous studies to examine these concerns. Our findings confirm this lack of clarity by showing that studies are inconsistent in: (a) which terms they used to refer to behavioural strategies that resemble camouflaging; (b) whether they referred to existing literature; (c) whether they used different terms to refer to the same concept or to separate types of behaviour; and (d) how they defined the terms that they used. Our findings also question the accuracy of camouflaging measurement tools, as these tools may also be measuring other behaviours (e.g. social anxiety) that are not only experienced by autistic people. We also find that camouflaging studies have mostly focused on autistic females with no accompanying cognitive or language difficulties, and who have received their diagnosis in adulthood. Although camouflaging may contribute to the underdiagnosis of some autistic females, most autistic people are male and are diagnosed during early childhood, and a large number of autistic people do experience those other difficulties","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1131-1146"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13087159/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146257290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}