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ERIC Number: EJ1365384
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Feb
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-3613
EISSN: EISSN-1461-7005
Available Date: N/A
Autism as a Difference or a Disorder? Exploring the Views of Individuals Who Use Peer-Led Online Support Groups for Autistic Partners
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, v27 n2 p321-330 Feb 2023
Approximately one-third of autistics report intimate relationship experience, but few studies have explored neuromixed relationships from the perspectives of non-autistic partners. Non-autistic partners increasingly use peer-led online groups to seek support. The purpose of this study was to capture a theory that reflects the basic social experience of individuals who use these support groups using classic Glaserian grounded theory methodology. Online interviews were conducted with 162 non-autistics who believed that they were in neuromixed relationships. Data were concurrently collected and analyzed using constant comparative analysis. Participants described varying views of autism, from a difference to a disorder, which defined the context of their relationships. Five relationship profiles emerged--mutual partnership: viewed partners as = companionship: viewed partners as friends but lacked a deeper connection; caregiving: viewed partners as dependents and compared relationships to parent-child dyads; detachment: viewed relationships as broken beyond repair and isolated selves from partners; and discriminatory: believed and circulated negative generalizations about autism. Many participants who were dissatisfied in their relationships shared that their partners were not formally evaluated and did not self-identify as autistic. Future research should explore ways that autism labels are (mis)applied by the general public based on negative stereotypes about autism.
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A