Exploring Autistic Coping through Participatory Design

Pena, B. B., Vines, J., van Driel, M., & Koteyko, N. (2025). Exploring Autistic Coping through Participatory Design. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 9(7), 1-31. https://doi.org/10.1145/3757593

Publication date: 16 Oct 2025 Added to AutiHub: 6 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
4
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 4 (25.0%)

Abstract

Autistic adults find themselves embedded within digital environments that are largely designed by and for neurotypical people. These environments are often unsuitable and challenging for the neurodivergent. As a result, autistic people are exposed to high levels of stress when using digital technologies, and must invest extraordinary effort in coping with it. In this participatory design study, we partnered with 20 autistic adults to investigate how they handle the stress caused by social media use. Their ways of coping and their design work point at the most problematic aspects of the design of social media, and suggest alternative directions for these digital platforms. We conclude that participatory design grounded on autistic coping provides an opportunity for the neuro-diversification of technology design.

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Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

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 11:31.

Cited references
71
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
6 / 71 (8.5%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
6 / 236 (2.5%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 6 / 66 (9.1%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 3 / 201 (1.5%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
66 / 236 (28.0%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 39 / 201 (19.4%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
60 / 66 (90.9%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 60 / 236 (25.4%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 36 / 39 (92.3%).
11 cited bibliography entries could not be fully enriched from DOI metadata.
Crossref: not found (6) · DataCite: not found (5)
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