1. Belcher HL. On Being Autistic and in Mental Health Crisis Care. Autism in Adulthood. 2022; 4(3): 179-82.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

2. Verhulst I, MacLennan K, Haffey A, Tavassoli T. The Perceived Causal Relations Between Sensory Reactivity Differences and Anxiety Symptoms in Autistic Adults. Autism in Adulthood. 2022; 4(3): 183-92.

Background: Rates of anxiety are inordinately high in autistic adults. Sensory reactivity differences, such as hyperreactivity (e.g., strong reactions to sound), hyporeactivity (e.g., no, or slower reactions to pain), and seeking (e.g., fascination with spinning objects), are a diagnostic criterion of autism and have been linked with anxiety. Understanding how individuals perceive these to be causally related can impact the assessment and treatment of anxiety. Therefore, we examined the perceived causal relations (PCR) between sensory reactivity differences and anxiety in autistic adults. Method: Two hundred forty-six autistic adults aged 18?76 years took part in an online study. They completed self-report assessments of sensory reactivity differences, and anxiety, followed by the PCR scale, indicating whether they perceived their sensory reactivity differences to be more of a cause or an effect of their anxiety symptoms. Results: We found sensory reactivity hyperreactivity, hyporeactivity, and seeking to be significantly correlated with anxiety. Further, we found total sensory hyperreactivity, and visual, auditory, and olfactory hyperreactivity, to be perceived as significantly more of a cause of anxiety than an effect, and total sensory seeking, and tactile and vestibular seeking, to be perceived as significantly more of an effect of anxiety than a cause. Conclusion: Future individualized approaches to treating anxiety in autistic individuals may benefit from differentiating between potential sensory causes of anxiety (e.g. hypersensitivities) vs. potential sensory effects of anxiety (e.g. sensory seeking behaviors). Community brief Why is this an important issue? Autistic people are more likely to experience anxiety compared with the general population. Sensory reactivity differences, such as hyperreactivity (e.g., strong reactivity to sounds), hyporeactivity (e.g., not noticing touch), or seeking (e.g., being fascinated by spinning objects), are common in autistic individuals, and may be a risk factor for anxiety. However, existing anxiety treatments are not always effective for autistic people. Understanding how autistic people feel their anxiety and sensory reactivity differences are causally linked could be important to help clinicians understand the challenges that should be prioritized in anxiety treatment for autistic people. What was the purpose of this study? In this study, we aimed at examining sensory reactivity differences and anxiety symptoms in autistic adults, and asking them whether they perceive their anxiety symptoms to be more of a cause or an effect of their sensory reactivity differences. What did the researchers do? In our study, we measured sensory reactivity differences and anxiety symptoms using online surveys. For the sensory reactivity differences and anxiety symptoms that each individual reported to be present, they were then asked how much they felt each anxiety symptom was a cause of their sensory reactivity differences, and how much they felt each sensory reactivity difference was a cause of their anxiety symptoms. This study included 246 autistic adults aged 18?76 years. What were the results of the study? Our results showed that the autistic individuals felt that their sensory hyperreactivity, including hyperreactivity related to vision, hearing, and scent, is more of a cause than an effect of anxiety. However, they also felt that their sensory seeking, especially touch- and balance-related seeking, is more of an effect than a cause of anxiety. What do these findings add to what was already known? Although sensory hyperreactivity has been shown earlier to be a cause of anxiety for autistic individuals, our study was the first to suggest that anxiety may influence sensory seeking, which is something that can be tested in future research studies. What are potential weaknesses in the study? We did not ask participants about co-occurring conditions, such as if they have additional diagnoses related to intellectual disability or attention deficit hyperreactivity disorder, which means here may be important differences between individuals that we did not examine. Also, we did not measure key symptoms associated with wider anxiety conditions and autism-related anxiety symptoms, such as social fears unrelated to negative self-assessment, which would be important for clinical understanding. How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future? Understanding how people perceive their traits and symptoms to be causally related can impact how effective anxiety treatments are for individuals. So, our findings can importantly help inform clinical approaches to the treatment of anxiety for autistic individuals.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

3. Cheak-Zamora N, Odunleye O. Stress and Coping in Autistic Young Adults. Autism in Adulthood. 2022; 4(3): 193-202.

Introduction: Half a million autistic youth will enter adulthood over the next decade. Support services to help youth successfully transition into adulthood are limited and not tailored to the autistic youth and young adult’s needs. This study utilized qualitative methods to understand how autistic young adults experience and cope with stress during the transition to adulthood. Methods: The study recruited 15 autistic young adults aged 18?25 years. Each participant completed a short demographic survey and individual interview. Interviews were conducted online via Google Docs or in-person based on the participants’ preference. Three researchers organized and coded the data using a thematic approach. Results: Based on our analysis, three themes emerged. Within the first theme, young adults in this study described experiencing a great deal of stress and provided examples of how it manifested in physical and emotional ways. In the second theme, youth described that the causes of this stress stemmed from general problems handling new or multiple responsibilities and specific problems in school, work, financial responsibilities, and social relationships. Finally, young adults described using various coping mechanisms including relaxation techniques, use of technology, and friends and family social support. Conclusions: The study findings can help service providers and family members find new ways to help autistic young adults manage their stress. This study provides a unique understanding of stress and coping from the autistic individuals’ point of view. Stress is most often derived from managing new responsibilities in general and school, work, money, and relationships in particular. Tailored support services that follow the individual from adolescence through adulthood are needed to manage these stressors. Researchers and service providers can utilize these recommendations for future program development. Furthermore, the method used in this study can be replicated to facilitate autistic individual input on future program development. Community brief Why is this an important issue? Few studies have examined what autistic young adults go through as they move from childhood to adulthood. Moving from high school to more adult duties is stressful for all young adults. It is unclear how autistic young adults deal with these changes. What was the purpose of this study? We wanted to better understand the experiences, stressors, supports, and coping styles of autistic young adults as they move from childhood to adulthood. What did the researchers do? We asked autistic young adults to describe their experiences, stressors, and how they cope as they age from teen years to adulthood. Fifteen autistic young adults were interviewed through Google Document or in-person interviews. To analyze the data, three researchers read each interview to find ideas and experiences those young adults shared. The researchers met many times to discuss the shared ideas and experiences they found. Researchers discussed these ideas until they agreed on what the main shared ideas (or themes) were. Two researchers then reread all the interviews to match ideas with the interview quote. What were the results of the study? Researchers found three ideas (or themes) that all or most autistic young adults talked about. (1) Young adults said that they felt stress in physical and emotional ways. (2) Dealing with new responsibilities, many responsibilities, and relationship problems were their main causes of stress. (3) Autistic young adults said that they had different ways of dealing with their stress. Some young adults used meditation and others played games on their computers or phones or looked at pictures to deal with stress. Many young adults also said that they get help from family and friends when they are stressed out. What do these findings add to what was already known? These findings help us better understand what stressors autistic young adults had and how they deal with this stress. Most studies ask caregivers questions about their young adults. Le rning about stressors and ways to deal with stress using the young adult’s own words is an addition to what we previously knew or what was published. Furthermore, the use of Google Doc discussions to collect data is new and was a good method of data collection. What are potential weaknesses in the study? We only had 15 autistic young adults agree to be in the study, and most were white and male. Young adults with severe communication limits were not able to be in the study. How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future? We know more about the ways autistic young adults feel stress and anxiety and how they deal with it. This information can help service workers give autistic young adults the support they need. The findings from this study can inform new interventions and can help health care workers, support service workers, and family members help autistic young adults deal with their stress and provide more ways to deal with their life stress.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

4. Scheerer NE, Boucher TQ, Sasson NJ, Iarocci G. Effects of an Educational Presentation About Autism on High School Students’ Perceptions of Autistic Adults. Autism in Adulthood. 2022; 4(3): 203-13.

Background: Social communication difficulties are a clinical characteristic of autism, but social interactions are reciprocal in nature and autistic individuals’ social abilities may not be the only factor influencing their social success. Nonautistic individuals’ social perceptions and behavior also contribute to autistic individuals’ social difficulties. Previous research has identified that nonautistic individuals’ perception of autistic individuals is influenced by autism knowledge and the quantity and quality of exposure to autistic people. The current research aimed to examine how autistic adults are perceived by high school students, assess whether quality and quantity of autism contact predicts these perceptions, and explore whether these perceptions are malleable. Methods: One hundred fifty-one senior high school students (15?19 years old) completed the First Impression Scale after viewing video recordings of 20 autistic and 20 nonautistic adults in social situations, either before or after viewing a 50-minute educational presentation detailing the everyday experiences of autistic people and participating in a question-and-answer session. We assessed students’ prior experiences with autistic people using the Quantity and Quality of Contact Scale and their own self-perceived social competence using the Multidimensional Social Competence Scale. Results: Consistent with previous studies, students rated autistic adults less favorably than nonautistic adults. However, the educational presentation produced modest but significant improvements on these ratings, with students who viewed the presentation rating autistic adults as more attractive and likable and reporting greater social interest in them compared to those who had not yet viewed the presentation. Furthermore, consistent with a double empathy framework, exploratory analyses indicated that self-reports of greater social competence among students was associated with greater bias against autistic adults, whereas reports of higher quality interactions with autistic people were associated with less bias. Conclusion: Previous research has demonstrated that nonautistic adults evaluate autistic people less favorably and report lower social interest in them relative to nonautistic controls. In this study, we extend these findings to adolescents but find these biases are somewhat malleable, with education about autism exerting some modest benefits. Changing nonautistic attitudes about autistic differences may provide an avenue for improving interactions for autistic individuals without putting the onus on autistic individuals to change or mask their behavior and identity. Community brief Why is this an important issue? Nonautistic people often have negative views or biases about autistic differences. These biases contribute to the ?Double Empathy Problem,? where the attitudes, misunderstandings, and behaviors of nonautistic people can add to the social challenges faced by autistic people. However, we do not know how and why these negative biases develop, and more research is needed to understand when they appear, what factors contribute to them, and whether they can be changed. What was the purpose of this study? We wanted to look at whether nonautistic teenagers at high school share the same biases toward autistic people that have previously been shown in adults. We then wanted to see if we could improve nonautistic teenagers’ views of autistic people by teaching them about what being autistic means. We were also curious whether high school students who have spent more time with autistic people would view autistic people more positively. Finally, we were interested in whether nonautistic people’s views of autistic people depend on how they viewed their own social skills. What did the researchers do? High school students (15?19 years old) viewed an educational presentation describing the everyday experiences of autistic people and took part in a question-and-answer session about autism. They also made judgments about 20 autistic and 20 nonautistic adults in video , such as whether they thought the person in the video was likable or awkward, and if they would hang out with them or not. Half of the students made these judgments before viewing the presentation and the other half did this after viewing the presentation. This allowed us to see whether the educational presentation could change high school students’ attitudes about autistic people. The high school students also filled out questionnaires about their experiences with autistic people and their own social skills, so we could assess whether these things were associated with attitudes about autistic people. What were the results of this study? Students viewing the educational presentation first rated autistic adults as more attractive, likable, and said they would be more interested in hanging out with them compared with the students who had not yet viewed the presentation. Students who reported higher quality experiences with autistic people in the past judged autistic people in the videos more positively, but those who thought they personally had strong social skills judged the autistic adults more negatively. What do these findings add to what was already known? We previously knew that nonautistic adults have negative attitudes toward autistic people. In this study, we show that nonautistic high school students also show negative attitudes toward autistic people. More importantly, we also find that these views can be improved somewhat by a presentation about autism. We also show that nonautistic adolescents who say they are the most socially skilled rate autistic people the most negatively. This may be because they are the most likely to value ?typical? or ?normative? social skills and be more judgmental about those who socialize in a different way. What are the potential weaknesses in the study? Students only rated autistic people from videos. We are not sure if the results would have been the same if the students were judging autistic people in real life or directly interacting with them. We also do not know if the judgments would be different if we had used different autistic adults or a more diverse sample. For instance, none of the autistic adults in the videos had an intellectual disability. How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future? These findings suggest that educating about autistic lives and high-quality contact with autistic people may be tools for improving the attitudes of nonautistic adolescents. This stage in life may be particularly important for improving the acceptance and inclusion of autistic people, as late adolescence is when many autistic people are beginning the transition to adulthood and their well-being may be increasingly affected by their experiences with nonautistic people.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

5. Brosnan M, Adams S. Adapting Drug and Alcohol Therapies for Autistic Adults. Autism in Adulthood. 2022; 4(3): 214-23.

Background: Autistic people may be at a higher risk of drug and alcohol misuse than the general population. Autistic people, however, are under-represented within drug and alcohol support services. This is the first survey of drug and alcohol therapists’ perceptions of current service provision for autistic clients and recommendations for reasonable adjustments that therapists can make to enhance successful outcomes. Methods: We conducted an online survey of 122 drug and alcohol therapists, exploring therapists’ demographics, training and experience with autistic clients, approaches and adaptations used with autistic clients, and therapists’ confidence with autistic clients. Within two focus groups, 11 members of the autistic and broader autism (e.g., family members, professionals) communities reflected on the reasonable adjustments reported by therapists. Results: Most therapists had autistic clients and most therapists had received no autism-specific training. Alcohol misuse was the most common presenting issue, and most therapists reported that treatment outcomes were less favorable for autistic clients than for other groups. Therapists perceived that barriers to successful outcomes were (1) a lack of autism-specific training, (2) a need to adapt therapy for autistic clients, and (3) a lack of shared perspective between the therapist and the autistic client. Previous research has identified a range of reasonable adaptations and, when asked, therapists were moderately confident in their ability to deliver these. Members of the autistic and broader autism communities coproduced guidance detailing how therapists can best adapt their practice for autistic clients including how to structure sessions and the language to use within sessions. Conclusion: This study highlights a need for practical and theoretical training for drug and alcohol therapists to support successful adaptation to current service provision for autistic clients and to develop a shared perspective on the desired aims and outcomes of the therapeutic process. Community brief Why was this study done? Autistic adults may be at greater risk for consuming drugs and alcohol to harmful levels compared with nonautistic adults. Autistic adults seeking support for drug and alcohol use report that treatment programs for reducing drug and alcohol use do not meet their needs. What was the purpose of this study? This study aimed to look at the skills, experience, and confidence of drug and alcohol therapists in working with autistic adults and what adaptions they are making to support autistic service users. What did the researchers do? Through an online questionnaire, the researchers asked 122 drug and alcohol therapists about their experiences with autistic clients (such as what issues they presented with), their autism training, and any perceived barriers or adaptations made to their service. Researchers also asked the therapists how confident they were to work with autistic clients and how successful their treatment was when compared with other client groups. Through two focus groups, the researchers then asked members of the autistic and broader autism (e.g., family members, professionals) communities to reflect how the reasonable adaptions reported by the therapist could be most effective for the autistic community. What were the results of the study? Most therapists had autistic clients and most therapists had received no autism-specific training. Alcohol was the most reported misused substance that therapists working with autistic adults encountered. Most therapists also reported that treatment outcomes were less favorable for autistic clients than for other groups. Therapists identified lack of training as a barrier to providing support for autistic adults. Therapists suggested that a one-size-fits-all approach was not helpful for this group and most were moderately confident that they would be able to deliver adapted therapy to autistic clients. Members of the autistic and broader autism communities developed guidance for therapists to implement effecti e adaptations for autistic clients. What do these findings add to what was already known? This was the first survey of drug and alcohol therapists regarding their service provision for autistic clients. The findings highlight the need for therapists to be trained in how to adapt support and treatment to meet the individual needs of autistic clients. What are potential weaknesses in the study? One limitation of this study is the convenience sample. This may limit how we can generalize the findings. By asking specifically about autistic clients, we may have biased responses from therapists who have worked with autistic adults. How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future? The findings from this study highlight that treatment programs for drug and alcohol misuse do not consider the needs of autistic adults. However, they also suggest that various approaches and adaptions can be made to support autistic clients. In addition to supporting adaptions made by therapists, the guidance developed could be a useful framework for autistic clients to discuss their session-support needs with therapists. Future research should look at the effectiveness of these adaptions in improving treatment outcomes for autistic clients.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

6. Akhtar N, Dinishak J, Frymiare JL. Still Infantilizing Autism? An Update and Extension of Stevenson et al. (2011). Autism in Adulthood. 2022; 4(3): 224-32.

Background: Stevenson et al. (2011) examined photographs and language used to represent autism on chapter websites for the Autism Society of America, autism charity websites, movies, television shows, fictional books, and U.S. new stories and found that they overwhelmingly used children to represent autism. Methods: Using Stevenson et al.’s methods, we tested the hypothesis that, a decade on, these same sources would now include more representations of autistic adults. We statistically compared our findings with theirs. Results: On the chapter websites of the Autism Society of America and in fictional books, the hypothesis was supported in that there were more representations of adults (19%?20%) than in the original study (5%?9%), but there were still far more representations of children than of adults. In movies, television shows, and U.S. news stories, there were equal numbers of representations of autistic adults and autistic children. Conclusions: These findings suggest a move away from infantilizing autism in some domains, but they rely on a narrow construal of ?infantilizing?: the underrepresentation of autistic adults in media. However, even when autistic adults are represented, they may still be infantilized in various ways. Future research will need to examine the impact of infantilizing media on both autistic and non-autistic people, and other ways in which these representations are limited (e.g., gender and race/ethnicity). Community brief Why is this an important issue? A prior study showed that most representations of autistic people in the United States portray children. It is important that the public not perceive autism as a disability that only affects children. If autistic adults are not adequately represented, they and their needs become invisible. What was the purpose of this study? We wanted to see if representations of autistic adults in the United States have increased in the decade since the original study was published. What did the researchers do? We counted the numbers of representations of autistic adults and autistic children on the chapter websites of the Autism Society of America, autism charity websites, in fictional books, movies, and television shows with autistic characters, and in U.S. news stories that mentioned autistic people. We then compared these numbers with the numbers from the original study. What were the results of the study? On the chapter websites of the Autism Society of America and in fictional books, there were more representations of adults than in the original study, but there were still far more representations of children than of adults. In movies and television shows, as well as U.S. news stories, the number of representations of autistic adults was equal to those of children. What do these findings add to what was already known? These findings show that there has been some progress in increased representations of autistic adults in the United States. Our study cannot tell us what exactly has contributed to this change, but we speculate that the rise of autistic self-advocacy is the most likely candidate, as it has trickle-down effects such as hiring of autism consultants for movies and television shows and journalists’ increased use of autistic self-advocates as sources. What are potential weaknesses in the study? Our analyses, as in the original study, are limited to depictions of autism in the United States and examine only one aspect of representation (age). Gender, race/ethnicity, and other dimensions of autistic representations need to be examined in future research. How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future? Knowing about representation of autistic adults is important because of the many potential benefits of accurate representation, such as access to accommodations and resources beyond childhood (e.g., jobs, healthcare). Positive media representations may also help reduce stigma and stereotypes.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

7. Capp SJ, Mason D, Colvert E, Agnew-Blais J, Happé F. COVID-19 and Perceived Changes to Quality of Life, Anxiety, Depression, and Loneliness in Autistic and Other Neurodivergent U.K. Adults. Autism in Adulthood. 2022; 4(3): 233-46.

Background: In the United Kingdom, we have experienced many changes to our daily lives as a result of COVID-19. Autistic and other neurodivergent (ND, e.g., those with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) adults may be more vulnerable to negative effects of the pandemic due to pre-existing mental health disparities and unmet support needs. Furthermore, there is little research, either pandemic related or otherwise, which considers how the experiences of autistic adults with additional intersecting ND identities might differ from those without. Methods: We collected data from an online survey during June 2020 to September 2020 to explore the psychological impact of the coronavirus pandemic on U.K. adults (N?=?286, age 18?72 years). Participants included neurotypical (NT) adults (N?=?98), autistic adults (N?=?73), other ND adults (N?=?53), as well as autistic adults with an additional intersecting ND identity (N?=?63). We measured and compared levels of quality of life (QoL), depression, anxiety, and loneliness across groups as well as perceived change in these as a result of the pandemic. Results: Autistic adults, with and without additional ND identities, had consistently low QoL and high anxiety, depression, and loneliness compared with NT adults. We found no differences in these areas between autistic adults with and without additional intersecting ND identities. In some areas, non-autistic ND participants were also doing poorly compared with their NT peers. Many participants felt that their QoL, mental health, and loneliness had worsened due to the pandemic, and this was largely similar across groups. Conclusions: These results highlight that COVID-19 may have led to increased need and demand for mental health services across the U.K. adult population. Both autistic and ND adults may be in particular need of increased (and improved) mental health and well-being support. This is likely because of pre-existing differences in mental health and well-being as well as individuals facing further difficulties as a result of the pandemic. Community brief Why is this an important issue? The coronavirus pandemic has been difficult for many people. Some researchers have found that the pandemic may have been especially difficult for autistic adults and those who are neurodivergent in another way. This might be because autistic and neurodivergent people often experience poor mental health and have a variety of unmet needs. What was the purpose of this study? The purpose of this study was to explore quality of life, depression, anxiety, and loneliness in different groups of adults during the pandemic. We also wanted to explore whether people felt that these had become worse during the pandemic. We were interested to explore differences between autistic adults and other groups of neurodivergent adults. This included autistic adults, autistic adults who were neurodivergent in another way, non-autistic neurodivergent adults, and a comparison group of adults who were not autistic or neurodivergent in any way. What did the researchers do? We recruited participants to take part in an online survey during June 2020 to September 2020. We advertised the study using social media and research websites. A total of 286 adults from the United Kingdom completed our survey. What were the results of the study? Autistic adults had consistently low quality of life and high anxiety, depression, and loneliness compared with the comparison group. This was the same regardless of whether the autistic adults were neurodivergent in another way too. In some areas, non-autistic neurodivergent participants had lower quality of life than the comparison group. Their depression and loneliness scores were somewhere in between autistic participants’ and the comparison group’s. Many participants felt that their quality of life, mental health, and loneliness had worsened due to the pandemic. This was similar for participants in all the groups. However, there were also participants who felt much better due to coronavirus restrictions. What do these findings dd to what was already known? We now know that autistic adults have experienced poor quality of life, mental health, and loneliness during the pandemic. We also found that there were no differences based on whether autistic adults were also neurodivergent in another way (e.g., an autistic adult with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder). We also know that non-autistic neurodivergent adults have experienced low quality of life during this time. This is important because there has been very little research on other non-autistic neurodivergent adults’ experiences during COVID-19 restrictions. What are potential weaknesses in the study? Most of our participants were white British and female. This means that our findings may not be relevant to all adults in the United Kingdom. Our study was carried out during the pandemic, which means that we do not know if these differences between the groups will continue to be true in the future. How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future? We hope that these findings will help to argue for more support to be made available to promote good quality of life and reduce mental health difficulties for autistic, and other neurodivergent, adults. Lots of our participants felt that their quality of life and mental health had got worse due to the pandemic. Because of this, it is now even more important that governments make changes to policy and funding to provide better services and support for autistic and neurodivergent adults.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

8. Cage E, Cranney R, Botha M. Brief Report: Does Autistic Community Connectedness Moderate the Relationship Between Masking and Wellbeing?. Autism in Adulthood. 2022; 4(3): 247-53.

Background: Masking involves blending in or covering a stigmatized identity, to avoid discrimination and to ?pass? within society. Autistic people often report masking, both intentionally and unintentionally, to get by in social situations. Autistic people who report high rates of masking also tend to experience poorer mental health. It is important we understand whether there are variables that can protect against the negative effects of masking. One such potential variable is autistic community connectedness (ACC)?being part of and belonging to the autistic community. Past research suggests there are benefits for autistic people socially connecting with other autistic people. We investigated whether ACC could moderate the relationship between masking and wellbeing. Methods: One hundred ninety-six autistic people completed an online survey including measures of ACC, masking, and mental wellbeing. We used moderation analysis to test whether ACC acted as a buffer between masking and wellbeing. Results: Higher self-reported masking related to poorer mental wellbeing. Higher ACC related to more positive wellbeing. Higher ACC correlated with more masking. However, there was no interaction effect, and ACC did not moderate the relationship between masking and wellbeing. Conclusions: Although ACC did relate to more positive mental wellbeing overall, it did not moderate the negative relationship between masking and wellbeing. If masking relates to the prejudice faced by autistic people, those with greater attachment to the autistic community may also be more aware of discrimination against their community. Furthermore, autistic people who are more connected might experience a higher salience of masking when moving between autistic and nonautistic settings. Tackling prejudice toward autistic people is critical in helping to reduce the negative effects associated with masking, and we must endeavor to change perceptions and increase inclusion of autistic people. Community brief Why is this an important issue? Lots of autistic people say that they often have to ?mask? the fact they are autistic. This means they might (on purpose or by accident) use strategies like planning a social script before meeting someone, trying to hide their stims, or forcing themselves to use eye contact because non-autistic people expect this. Previous research has shown that the more someone masks, the more they experience poor mental health and wellbeing. We wondered whether feeling connected to the autistic community (?autistic community connectedness?) could help protect autistic people from these negative masking outcomes, because many autistic people talk about how they get joy out of being part of this community. What was the purpose of this study? We aimed to see whether autistic community connectedness could play a role in protecting autistic people against the negative effects of masking on mental wellbeing. What did the researchers do? We used an online survey which included questions about masking, connectedness to the autistic community, and mental wellbeing. One hundred and ninety-six autistic people completed the survey. We used an analysis called ?moderation analysis? which can be used to see if something is acting like a buffer or protector between two things (in this case, masking and wellbeing). What were the results of the study? Although people with higher autistic community connectedness generally had more positive mental wellbeing overall, we found that community connectedness was not acting like a protector. In other words, masking still related to poorer wellbeing, even when someone had high autistic community connectedness. What do these findings add to what was already known? Our findings show that autistic community connectedness can be something positive for mental wellbeing, but we think that masking keeps happening because there is so much stigma and prejudice towards autistic people. It’s difficult for autistic people to ?take the mask off?, and people who are more connected to the autistic community may be even more a are of the prejudice and discrimination experienced by the autistic community. Our findings provide further support for the idea that masking has a lot to do with experiences of stigma. What are potential weaknesses in the study? Our participants were mostly female, and we recruited them via online communities. There may already be high feelings of autistic community connectedness in these participants, so our findings won’t be the same for everyone, and it would be useful to have more people who actively reject being part of the autistic community within studies like ours, as well as having more diverse participants involved. How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future? We show that autistic community connectedness is related to wellbeing, and we need to support autistic people to feel like they can freely explore this community and decide whether they want to get involved or not. If we want to help autistic people mask less, we really need to work harder on creating societies that are open to authentically autistic people.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)