Exploring the Social Experiences of Adults on the Autism Spectrum: Views on Friendships, Dating and Partnerships

Abstract

This thesis utilizes original quantitative and qualitative research and takes a structural/critical perspective of disability. Methodology involves participatory action techniques as questions were formulated from discussions with volunteers with

Commentary on “Thinking differently? Autism and quality of life”

“…The importance of social interaction to QoL challenges assumptions that might be held regarding the sociability of autistic people, notably the myth that autistic people universally have no wish for friendships and/or relationships. This echoes the findings of Johnson and Hanes (2018) when exploring autistic people’s social networks. These findings also parallel Robertson’s (2009) discussion, where he explains that autism (and the subsequent impact on QoL) is always framed in a negative manner.…”

“…This is key when considering nuances in differences of neurology impacting an individual’s life experience, which might be missed. Examples include how social time is spent, e.g., a preference for spending time with people on a one-to-one basis instead of in large groups (Johnson and Hanes, 2018) and activities which are specific to disabled people, e.g. (self-) advocacy groups and meetups of autistic people (Kim, 2019).…”

Transforming Social Work Field Education

“…(Arnold, 2013;Douglas et al, 2021;Milton, 2014;O'Dell et al, 2016;Woods et al, 2018) that autistic persons are experts in their experiences and are therefore valuable sources of information when seeking information about their needs. While guidance on conducting interviews and focus groups with autistic adults in research settings exists (Harrington et al, 2014;Johnson, 2014;McEvenue, 2013;Tager-Flushberg et al, 2017), little has been written on how to establish favourable practices for consulting with autistic adults outside of a formal research environment. Consulting the public is an important step in social work community practice (Hardcastle et al, 2004) and is necessary to provide services, supports, and funding that is appropriate for targeted communities.…”

People with Disabilities Leading the Design of Serious Games and Virtual Worlds.

“…The choice to socialise online is a decision many people with autism make, and there is a need to offer them more options to interact online because many people with autism are more comfortable with such interaction [53]. Autistic people have a strong preference for online interaction, which may be due to the familiar structures of online communication, the ability to choose conversation topics and/or the option of responding in one's own time [54].…”