Looking through rainbow-rimmed glasses: Taking neurodiversity perspective is related to subjective well-being of autistic adults.
Autistic adults who see autism as a brain difference feel better about themselves.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Ferenc et al. (2023) asked 140 autistic adults to fill out online surveys.
They measured how each person sees autism: as a disorder or as a natural brain difference.
Then they looked at self-esteem, life satisfaction, and sense of community.
What they found
Adults who see autism as a neurodiversity difference report higher self-esteem.
Feeling part of the autistic community helped only for people who also value group identity.
In short, the “difference” view boosts well-being more than the “disorder” view.
How this fits with other research
Vassos et al. (2023) found the same identity link: stronger autism identity predicts preference for identity-first language.
Together the two 2023 surveys show that identity strength and language choice move together.
Greenlee et al. (2024) looked deeper and found camouflaging behaviors, not identity, drive well-being.
This extends Kinga’s work: identity matters, but hiding traits may cancel the gain.
Why it matters
Ask each autistic adult client how they view their autism. Write “disorder” or “difference” in the file. Build goals that match their view and check if they hide traits. This five-minute chat can lift self-esteem and guide better targets.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Autistic adults experience a high level of distress. Finding new ways to support their well-being is an important goal for researchers and clinicians. We assessed the way autistic adults view their autism, as a disorder or as a type of mind (neurodiversity), and the level they integrate with other autistic people, and we checked how those factors contribute to their well-being. People who see autism rather as a type of mind than as a disorder had higher self-esteem. People who view themselves as more similar to other autistic people felt more stressed, but this result was not accurate for people who view autism as a type of mind. Clinicians should be sensitive to the way autistic people understand autism and to what extent they identify with the autism community, because it may relate to their well-being.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2023 · doi:10.1177/13623613221135818