ERIC Number: EJ1477632
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0885-6257
EISSN: EISSN-1469-591X
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Development of Performative Identities in Autism Writers' Autobiographies
Aiga NorvaiĊĦaite1; Luca Tateo1
European Journal of Special Needs Education, v40 n4 p639-653 2025
The article presents a narrative analysis on two autobiographies by women writers diagnosed with autism as adults. We analyse the issues related to neurodivergent identity development, masking, and educational trajectory combining performativity theory and cultural psychology. The analysis highlights three main themes: the early life challenges; the diagnosis as a turning point; and the new sense of self involving reflections of the meaning and significance of autistic identities. We claim that the complexity and intersectionality of the neurodivergent identity cannot be reduced to a single trait, and the process of construction happens through a dynamic tension between social suggestions and personal agency.
Descriptors: Autobiographies, Females, Authors, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Adults, Clinical Diagnosis, Self Concept, Barriers, Change, Personal Autonomy
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway