The autistic experience of homelessness: Implications from a narrative enquiry.
Autistic adults often pick rough sleeping because hostels feel unsafe and deny entry.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Stone et al. (2023) listened to autistic adults who had lived on the streets.
The team used narrative interviews. They asked each person to tell their full housing story.
Adults explained why they left hostels and chose rough sleeping.
What they found
Hostels turned them away for being “too complex” or “not disabled enough.”
Inside, bright lights, loud radios, and unpredictable roommates caused meltdowns.
Many said, “The doorway feels safer than the shelter.”
How this fits with other research
Pearson et al. (2023) and Gibbs et al. (2023) heard the same word: “unsafe.” Their autistic interviewees also felt services ignored them.
The picture looks wider. Robison (2019) warned we lack basic data on autistic adults over 50; Beth et al. give the first deep look at one high-risk slice.
It is not just homelessness. Bitsika et al. (2020) and Jackson et al. (2025) show police and courts also lack autism know-how. The pattern is systemic, not single-sector.
Why it matters
If you write discharge plans, add two lines: quiet bed option and staff autism training. These simple steps can keep a client from choosing the street.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Recent research suggests many autistic people experience homelessness. However, little is known about the types of homelessness autistic people experience and what barriers autistic people face when trying to exit homelessness. This study involved gathering life stories of autistic people who had experienced homelessness. Ten autistic participants talked about their pathways through homelessness and the difficulties they had in accessing support. After first becoming homeless, participants tended to experience rough sleeping and sofa surfing. When participants approached housing and homelessness services, they were often told they were not eligible for support. This could happen when support workers were not aware of autism, or when autism was not considered 'severe' enough. Overcrowding, confrontation and lack of control over routine and environment were particular issues for participants when they entered homelessness hostels. Some participants chose to sleep on the streets rather than stay in environments which increased social anxiety and sensory difficulties. This study discusses ways in which homelessness and housing services can increase accessibility and improve engagement for autistic people. It is important to increase awareness of autism while understanding that autistic people who experience homelessness may have complex needs. In addition, services need to listen to autistic people with lived experience of homelessness to decide what changes will have the most impact.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2023 · doi:10.1177/13623613221105091