Discourse-based approaches to autistic focussed interests: Understanding shared focus, mutual accommodation, and multimodal expression

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. The publication reports that autistic people are authors or co-authors, without specifying their number or identifying them by name.

Aiston, J., Koteyko, N., & Van Driel, M. (2025). Discourse-based approaches to autistic focussed interests: Understanding shared focus, mutual accommodation, and multimodal expression. Applied Linguistics. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amaf006

Publication date: 27 Jan 2025 Added to AutiHub: 6 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
3
Autistic authors reported by the publication
Number not specified

Abstract

Abstract Interactions between autistic and non-autistic people are often characterized by misunderstanding and a ‘double empathy problem’ (Milton, Gurbuz, and López 2022). Thus, there is a need for applied linguistics research that seeks to concretely address and improve these communication barriers and lead to more positive and equitable interactions. In this position paper, we critically review existing discourse approaches to autistic communication and argue that future research must be participatory, affirmative of neurodiversity, and applied in service of addressing this double empathy problem. In particular, we argue that applied linguists should pay more attention to the role of focussed interests and show how discourse analysis can shed light on the valuable role of interest-driven interactions, both among autistic people and between autistic and non-autistic people. Following this, we propose several directions for future directions for applied linguistics research into autistic communication. Specifically, we suggest that linguistics could explore the potential for focussed interests for fostering shared focus, mutual accommodation, and multimodal expression, and consider how these findings can be translated into positive impact for autistic communities.

Bibliography cited by this reference

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

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 2 Oct 2026 11:55.

Cited references
72
With a DOI
60
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
9
17 / 72 (23.6%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
3 / 72 (4.2%)
References with detected author names
72 / 72 (100.0%)
Without detected author names
0
Without a structured title
3
Without a stable identifier
8
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
1
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
189
From DOI or external metadata
189
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
85 / 189 (45.0%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 104 / 189 (55.0%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
28 / 189 (14.8%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 28 / 85 (32.9%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 21 / 168 (12.5%).
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