Knowing and accepting oneself: Exploring possibilities of self-awareness among working autistic young adults

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Bertilsdotter Rosqvist, H., Hultman, L., & Hallqvist, J. (2022). Knowing and accepting oneself: Exploring possibilities of self-awareness among working autistic young adults. Autism, 27(5), 1417-1425. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613221137428

Publication date: 21 Nov 2022 Added to AutiHub: 4 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
3
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 3 (33.3%)
  1. Hanna Bertilsdotter Rosqvist *
  2. Lill Hultman
  3. Johan Hallqvist

Abstract

Autistic people have historically been described as incapable of developing a deeper sense of self-awareness, and autistic understandings of self-awareness have been largely disregarded. The aim of this study is to explore the way young autistic adults try to understand their functionality and who they are, or to develop their sense of self-awareness, in work and in private life contexts. In 12 qualitative interviews conducted with four autistic adults without learning difficulties, we identified a rich set of reflections on knowing and accepting oneself. The overarching theme of self-knowledge has three subthemes: learning from previous experiences, learning about oneself by securing the support of others, and understanding and accepting autistic functionality. The strategy of self-knowledge was used by these young adults to help them achieve functional lives in the work and private domains. Our results show that young autistic adults both actively explore and develop their self-awareness. We suggest that it is important for practitioners and employers working with autistic individuals to engage with their journeys of self-awareness as a vital part of understanding and supporting them. Lay abstract When researchers and professionals talk about autism, they commonly point out problems and risks with autism or being autistic. Several interventions are based on the idea of the problems and risks of autism. Another way of talking about autism is to point out autistic people’s strengths and strategies which they use to handle barriers and problems in their lives in order to live good lives on their own terms. In this article, the researchers explore how autistic young adults formulate their own difficulties, strengths and support needs in order to get right support from support people. To be able to formulate this, autistic people need to get to know oneself and one’s own way of functioning. Autistic own self-knowledge must be central when formal support people, such as social workers, formulate support and interventions aimed at helping autistic people, in order for the support/intervention to be helpful.

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Bibliography inclusion overview

These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:30.

Cited references
51
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
8 / 51 (15.7%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
15 / 167 (9.0%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 15 / 63 (23.8%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 11 / 158 (7.0%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
63 / 167 (37.7%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 57 / 158 (36.1%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
48 / 63 (76.2%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 48 / 167 (28.7%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 46 / 57 (80.7%).
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