“I’m kind of stuck in the middle. I don’t know where to go”: Race, Autism, and Intersectional Stigma Among Black and White Autistic Adults

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Jones, D. R., Botha, M., & Sasson, N. J. (2025). “I’m kind of stuck in the middle. I don’t know where to go”: Race, Autism, and Intersectional Stigma Among Black and White Autistic Adults [Preprint]. Center for Open Science. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/hnkxy_v2

Publication date: 6 Sep 2025 Added to AutiHub: 5 Jul 2026 Type: Preprint Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
3
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 3 (33.3%)
  1. Desiree R. Jones
  2. Monique Botha *
  3. Noah J. Sasson

Abstract

AbstractBackground: Autistic adults frequently experience social stigma, which may be compounded by additional marginalized identities such as race, gender, and sexual orientation. Black autistic adults, in particular, may face unique challenges at the intersection of racial bias and autism stigma. However, the experiences of autistic people with intersecting marginalized identities remain underexplored in research, contributing to a limited understanding of stigma’s impact across diverse communities.Methods: The current study sought to better characterize the social experiences of autistic people with intersecting identities, with an emphasis on Black autistic adults. 32 autistic adults (16 Black, 16 White) completed a semi-structured interview regarding their social experiences. Participants shared recent stories of peer exclusion, acceptance, discrimination and support that they had experienced, as well as their feelings surrounding these events. We recorded and transcribed these interviews and used an inductive, or data-driven, approach to thematic analysis to identify salient themes in the data. Results: We generated three intersectional themes, which encompassed the unique impact of stigma on those with intersecting identities. Specifically, these themes included: 1) identity-based discrimination shaped by race, gender, and LGBTQ+ status; (2) challenges in obtaining and processing an autism diagnosis; and (3) difficulties navigating personal identity, particularly among Black autistic participants. While autistic adults broadly reported stigma experiences, Black participants often described layered forms of exclusion related to both their race and autistic traits. Women and LGBTQ+ participants also reported distinct forms of marginalization and erasure. Conclusion: These findings highlight how autism stigma intersects with other marginalized identities to shape social experiences. Black autistic adults, along with autistic women and LGBTQ+ autistic people, may encounter compounded barriers to acceptance, identity development, and belonging. These results underscore the need for more inclusive research and supports that attend to the diversity of autistic experiences.

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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 11:30.

Cited references
42
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
7 / 42 (16.7%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
8 / 145 (5.5%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 8 / 60 (13.3%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 6 / 120 (5.0%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
60 / 145 (41.4%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 47 / 120 (39.2%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
52 / 60 (86.7%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 52 / 145 (35.9%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 41 / 47 (87.2%).
2 cited bibliography entries could not be fully enriched from DOI metadata.
Crossref: not found (1) · DataCite: not found (1)
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