Between gaining acceptance and avoiding harm: navigating stigma and its consequences among autistic individuals

Abstract

This paper examines autistic adults’ narratives and accounts of their experiences. It focuses on exploring how autistic individuals interpret and respond to stigma and negative attitudes surrounding autism. Thematic analysis of qualitative data obtained from interviews and focus groups reveals how autistic persons reconstruct their self-perception and definition of autism in response to stigma and societal attitudes. Further, the analysis reveals the prevalent use of social camouflaging among autistic adults to manage and cope with their stigmatized identities. This research contends that the dual approach that appeared among participants of advocating for autism acceptance while masking and concealing autism, reflects a continuous balancing act between avoiding stigma and its harmful consequences and striving to fit in, gain acceptance, engage in social interaction and relationships. Reframing autism as positive and reporting decreased motivation for camouflaging and increased self-acceptance, demonstrate stigma resistance and the agency and power possessed by autistic people.

Points of Interest

• This article looks into how autistic adults describe their daily and social experiences.

• Specifically, it examines the impact of stigma on autistic individuals’ understanding of autism as well as explains how autistic people deal with stigmatic views and negative reactions to autism.

• The data collected for this study is based on interviews and focus groups conducted with autistic adults.

• The study highlights the use of masking, where autistic individuals hide their autism to avoid stigma and its negative consequences while seeking social acceptance and engaging socially.

• By exploring how autism intersects with various social identities, the study reveals how autistic individuals navigate societal challenges, highlighting the diverse experiences and perspectives within the autistic community and the complexity of the autism experience.

Keywords:

• Autism
• adults
• social camouflaging
• stigma
• intersectionality

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank all the participants who participated in the study. Thanks to Professors William McKellin, Pat Mirenda, Alexia Bloch, and Bruce Miller for their supervision and contributions to my doctoral research which this paper draws on.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics approval

The study was approved by Behavioral Research Ethics Board in the University of British Columbia. Certification number H18-02689.