"Different but connected": Participatory action research using Photovoice to explore well-being in autistic young adults.
Let autistic young adults photograph what well-being means to them, then use those images to shape supports that value relationships and community belonging.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Lam et al. (2020) gave cameras to autistic young adults. They asked them to take photos that show what well-being means to them.
The team met weekly to talk about the pictures. Together they picked the strongest ones and wrote captions.
This Photovoice method puts autistic people in charge of the data. They are co-researchers, not just subjects.
What they found
Three big ideas came through the photos. The young adults valued being unique, having close ties, and feeling part of a community.
They wanted services that respect these needs. The pictures gave staff clear, usable ideas for change.
How this fits with other research
Cage et al. (2024) used the same camera method with adults getting a late autism diagnosis. Both studies show Photovoice pulls out rich, usable insights when autistic people lead the work.
Fradet et al. (2025) surveyed autism researchers and found most still skip participatory steps. Hin’s paper is a 2020 proof-of-concept; the 2025 data show the field has not caught up.
Andrés-Gárriz et al. (2025) took the well-being themes and built a self-determination class. Their trial found small, non-significant gains, but proved you can move from voiced needs to real programs.
Anonymous (2024) calls the whole field too deficit-focused. Hin’s strengths-first lens agrees, yet the later paper shows many studies still frame autism as problems to fix.
Why it matters
If you write goals or design groups for autistic young adults, start by asking them what matters. Use photos, drawings, or other show-and-tell tools in your intake. Build services around relationships and community spots they pick, not just social-skills deficits. This small shift honors their voices and can boost buy-in from day one.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Past research has mainly focused on autistic people's deficits and poor outcomes compared to other groups of people. Little is known about their positive life experiences, and how to support them to achieve a higher quality of life. It is important to include autistic individuals in research so that they can influence how their voices are represented in a meaningful way and how the research results will be useful to them. In this study, a university researcher collaborated with 14 autistic young adults in a post-school transition program to design and run the research, collect and analyze the data, and use the results to create a presentation to the community. Specifically, the participants took photos in daily life and discussed their ideas about what a good life means to them. Results showed that these young adults described themselves as uniquely and different, but they were eager to learn and adapt. They also valued their relationships with their families, friends, and animals around them, as well as the community at large. This research shows that autistic individuals have important perspectives to share and knowledge to contribute when they are given the opportunities to participate in different aspects of research. The findings will be useful in developing services and influencing policies that promote well-being among autistic adults.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2020 · doi:10.1177/1362361319898961