Oral History Study Explores What It ’s Like To Receive An Autism Diagnosis Later In Life

By guest blogger Dan Carney A key development in autism research in the last twenty-odd years has been the use of less rigid methods such as interviews, fieldwork, and surveys, instead of those based on standardised measurements or other “laboratory-based” tasks. These looser approaches, in tandem with the increasing popularity of autobiographical writing by autistic people, have served to complement more traditional research by adding nuance and detail to understandings of the condition. Now, a team from Australia led by Rozanna Lilley has used such an approach with a population underrepresented in autism research, namely late-diagnosed adults. The authors conducted oral history interviews with 26 autistic adults born before 1975 — thus growing up before the condition was widely known — and diagnosed when over the age of 35. Lilley and colleagues were interested in how participants’ sense of their own identity has changed over time, and how receiving a diagnosis may have impacted this. The project involved the autistic community throughout. The research team included three late-diagnosed autistic adults, two of whom conducted the interviews. An autistic advisory group was also consulted at every stage. Interviews were semi-structured, meaning questions were prepared but adhered to loosely, to enable divergence and further exploration of anything arising. This allowed participants to tell their stories in their own way, and enhance their accounts with ...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Autism guest blogger Qualitative The self Source Type: blogs