First-hand Accounts of Emotional Experiences in Autism: A qualitative analysis

Abstract

Internet-based first-hand accounts of five people who describe themselves as 'high functioning autistic' were analysed using a thematic analytic approach. Four central themes were identified. These were a sense of alienation, a sense of frustration, depression as a central emotion, and a pervasive sense of fear or apprehension. The findings not only imply that emotional issues are important and relevant to people with autism, but there is an implication that the predominant experienced emotions are unpleasant ones. This is in contrast to much of the literature on autism that points to the absence or lack of emotion compared to non-autistic controls. Issues of generalisability to a wider population of people with autism are discussed.