Commentary on “Thinking differently? Autism and quality of life”

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. one author of this publication is identified as autistic in the project.

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Waldock, K. E. (2019). Commentary on “Thinking differently? Autism and quality of life”. Tizard Learning Disability Review, 24(2), 77-81. https://doi.org/10.1108/tldr-02-2019-0006

Publication date: 1 Apr 2019 Added to AutiHub: 7 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) OpenAlex source

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
1
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 1 (100.0%)
  1. Krysia Emily Waldock *

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the possible impact of normalisation on the perceptions of quality of life (QoL) and the impact of this association on the research to date. This commentary reflects on the implications of limiting QoL research to autistic people who are perceived to be “more able”. Design/methodology/approach This commentary discusses the implications of undertaking QoL research in the field of autism. Findings This commentary argues for further consideration of the autistic voice in QoL research. Researcher epistemology and life experience, including experience of autistic people, is examined in terms of how QoL might be perceived and attributed. Further participatory research in the field of quality of life of autistic people, including those with a learning disability and engagement with a variety of autistic people, is called for. Originality/value This commentary suggests that the existing definitions of QoL, founded on principles of normalisation, may not be completely applicable to autistic people, and that new ways of both defining and measuring QoL might be needed.

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 14:04.

Cited references
25
With a DOI
10
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
13
4 / 25 (16.0%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
9 / 25 (36.0%)
References with detected author names
16 / 25 (64.0%)
Without detected author names
9
Without a structured title
0
Without a stable identifier
11
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
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
41
From DOI or external metadata
41
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
18 / 41 (43.9%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 23 / 41 (56.1%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
9 / 41 (22.0%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 9 / 18 (50.0%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 8 / 38 (21.1%).
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  16. Jenna Johnson , Roy Hanes (2018). Exploring the Social Experience of Adults on the Autism Spectrum: Views on Friendships, Dating and Partnerships . Autonomy, the Critical Journal of Interdisciplinary Autism Studies, 1(5).
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    Crossref OpenAlex
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