Language interventions for autistic people: An online survey of community member views and priorities

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

About the autistic author marker

Metadata sources used for this reference

OpenAlex Crossref
Learn more about the sources used

Linden, A., Norbury, C., McCabe, M., Saul, J., Killick, E., Sam, E., Dufresne, S., Elise, F., Gurusamy, K., & Crane, L. (2026). Language interventions for autistic people: An online survey of community member views and priorities. JCPP Advances, e70125-e70125. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.70125

Publication date: 11 Apr 2026 Added to AutiHub: 12 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) Full text OpenAlex source

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
10
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 10 (10.0%)
  1. Audrey Linden
  2. Courtenay Norbury
  3. Molly McCabe
  4. Jo Saul
  5. Estelle Killick
  1. Evelyn Sam
  2. Simone Dufresne
  3. Freya Elise *
  4. Kurinchi Gurusamy
  5. Laura Crane

Abstract

Abstract Background Identifying interventions for developing language skills in autistic people is a top research priority. To develop effective language interventions, it is essential to understand whether community members feel they are important, acceptable, and meaningful. The aim of our research was to elicit views from members of the autism community on language and language interventions for autistic people. Methods Our diverse team (comprising those with lived and professional experience of autism and/or language interventions) achieved our goals using an online survey. Via opportunity sampling, we recruited 356 participants including autistic adults, parents of autistic children, and professionals/researchers working with autistic people. Data were thematically analyzed. Results Participants recognised the importance of language for self‐advocacy, societal participation, interacting with others, and expressing needs, feelings and desires. Language was seen as a potential tool for communication, but one of crucial importance in navigating a world designed for non‐autistic people. Responses also strongly emphasised the importance of language interventions being focused on autistic people's individual needs, that benefit them, allow them to be their authentic selves, and prioritise choice and agency. Conclusion Our research highlights the importance of including community voices in the development of language interventions. Future language interventions should be individualised to a person's needs and wishes, respect autistic people's identity, and support self‐advocacy. Subsequent work should ensure that seldom‐heard voices are centered in such discussions.

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: 12 Sep 2026 17:55.

Cited references
48
With a DOI
39
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
9
11 / 48 (22.9%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
3 / 48 (6.2%)
References with detected author names
45 / 48 (93.8%)
Without detected author names
3
Without a structured title
3
Without a stable identifier
9
References with raw author names still to review
3
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
188
From DOI or external metadata
188
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
3
107 / 188 (56.9%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 81 / 188 (43.1%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
30 / 188 (16.0%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 30 / 107 (28.0%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 20 / 153 (13.1%).
  1. Sue Fletcher-Watson , Fiona McConnell , Eirini Manola , Helen McConachie (2014). Interventions based on the Theory of Mind cognitive model for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020(2), CD008785. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd008785.pub2 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1837731691
    Crossref OpenAlex
  2. American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM‐5 . American psychiatric association, 5(5).
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  3. Helen Tager‐Flusberg , CONNIE KASARI (2013). Minimally Verbal School‐Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Neglected End of the Spectrum . Autism Research, 6(6), 468-478. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/aur.1329 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1909988460
    Crossref OpenAlex
  4. Autistica. (2016). Your questions: Shaping future autism research final report from James Lind alliance priority setting partnership.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  5. Andy Bondy , Lori Frost (2001). The Picture Exchange Communication System . Behavior Modification, 25(5), 725-744. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/0145445501255004 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1971939300
    Crossref OpenAlex
  6. Ayres A. J. (1972). Sensory integration and learning disorders . Sensory integration and learning disorders.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  7. Virginia Braun , Victoria Clarke (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology . Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1979290264
    Crossref OpenAlex
  9. David Williams , Nicola Botting , Jill Boucher (2008). Language in autism and specific language impairment: Where are the links? Psychological Bulletin, 134(6), 944-963. American Psychological Association (APA).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1037/a0013743 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2018586723
    Crossref OpenAlex
  10. Carolina L. Balazs , Rachel Morello-Frosch (2013). The Three Rs: How Community-Based Participatory Research Strengthens the Rigor, Relevance, and Reach of Science . Environmental Justice, 6(1), 9-16. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1089/env.2012.0017 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2092622760
    Crossref OpenAlex
  11. Margaret M. Kjelgaard , Helen Tager‐Flusberg (2001). An investigation of language impairment in autism: Implications for genetic subgroups . Language and Cognitive Processes, 16(2-3), 287-308. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/01690960042000058 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2047852850
    Crossref OpenAlex
  12. Kristen Bottema-Beutel , Shannon Crowley LaPoint , So Yoon Kim , Sarah Mohiuddin , Qun Yu , Rachael McKinnon (2023). An evaluation of intervention research for transition-age autistic youth . Autism, 27(4), 890-904. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/13623613221128761 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4300689952
    Crossref OpenAlex
  13. S. Houston (2001). Beyond Social Constructionism: Critical Realism and Social Work . British Journal of Social Work, 31(6), 845-861. Oxford University Press (OUP).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/31.6.845 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2157556737
    Crossref OpenAlex
  14. Jill Boucher (2012). Research Review: Structural language in autistic spectrum disorder – characteristics and causes . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 53(3), 219-233. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02508.x OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1919554737
    Crossref
  15. Andrew Pickles , Deborah K. Anderson , Catherine Lord (2014). Heterogeneity and plasticity in the development of language: a 17‐year follow‐up of children referred early for possible autism . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(12), 1354-1362. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12269 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2169191843
    Crossref OpenAlex
  16. V. Rose , David Trembath , Deb Keen , Jessica Paynter (2016). The proportion of minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder in a community‐based early intervention programme . Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 60(5), 464-477. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/jir.12284 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2343691099
    Crossref OpenAlex
  17. Virginia Braun , Victoria Clarke (2019). Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis . Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 11(4), 589-597. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/2159676x.2019.1628806 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2950504429
    Crossref OpenAlex
  18. Rachel Loomes , Laura Hull , Will Mandy (2017). What Is the Male-to-Female Ratio in Autism Spectrum Disorder? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis . Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 56(6), 466-474. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2017.03.013 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2604697269
    Crossref OpenAlex
  19. Virginia Braun , Victoria Clarke (2021). One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis? Qualitative Research in Psychology, 18(3), 328-352. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/14780887.2020.1769238 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3048560297
    Crossref OpenAlex
  21. Virginia Braun , Victoria Clarke , Elicia Boulton , Louise Davey , Charlotte McEvoy (2021). The online survey as a qualitative research tool . International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 24(6), 641-654. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/13645579.2020.1805550 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3051124794
    Crossref OpenAlex
  23. M. Ariel Cascio , Eunlye Lee , Nicole Vaudrin , Darcy A. Freedman (2019). A Team-based Approach to Open Coding: Considerations for Creating Intercoder Consensus . Field Methods, 31(2), 116-130. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1525822x19838237 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2929139003
    Crossref OpenAlex
  25. Clarke V. (2013). Successful qualitative research: A practical guide for beginners . Successful qualitative research: A practical guide for beginners.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  26. Clare Cummins , Elizabeth Pellicano , Laura Crane (2020). Autistic adults’ views of their communication skills and needs . International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 55(5), 678-689. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12552 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3038420360
    Crossref
  28. Micheal Sandbank , Kristen Bottema-Beutel , Shannon Crowley LaPoint , Margaret Cassidy , Kacie Dunham-Carr , Jacob I. Feldman et al. (2020). Project AIM: Autism intervention meta-analysis for studies of young children. Psychological Bulletin, 146(1), 1-29. American Psychological Association (APA).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1037/bul0000215 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2990306783
    Crossref OpenAlex
  30. Stanley I. Greenspan , Serena Wieder (2007). Clinical manual for the treatment of autism . In Clinical manual for the treatment of autism (pp. 179). American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
    Type: Book chapter DOI: 10.1176/appi.books.9781615377633.lg09 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4405068142
    Crossref OpenAlex
  33. Eric Rubenstein , Sarah Furnier (2021). #Bias: The Opportunities and Challenges of Surveys That Recruit and Collect Data of Autistic Adults Online . Autism in Adulthood, 3(2), 120-128. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1089/aut.2020.0031 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3102111285
    Crossref OpenAlex
  35. Malcolm S. Johnson , Vanessa M. Adams , Jason Byrne (2024). Addressing fraudulent responses in online surveys: Insights from a web‐based participatory mapping study . People and Nature, 6(1), 147-164. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10557 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4388635803
    Crossref OpenAlex
  37. Kathryn Skivington , Lynsay Matthews , Sharon Anne Simpson , Peter Craig , Janis Baird , Jane M Blazeby et al. (2021). A new framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions: update of Medical Research Council guidance . BMJ, 374, n2061. BMJ.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1136/bmj.n2061 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3194472989
    Crossref OpenAlex
  38. Stephanie Lewis-Dagnell , Sarah Parsons , Hanna Kovshoff (2023). Creative methods developed to facilitate the voices of children and young people with complex needs about their education: A systematic review and conceptual analysis of voice . Educational Research Review, 39, 100529. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.edurev.2023.100529 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4323543239
    Crossref OpenAlex
  39. Justin B. Leaf , Joseph H. Cihon , Ronald Leaf , John McEachin , Nicholas Liu , Noah Russell et al. (2022). Concerns About ABA-Based Intervention: An Evaluation and Recommendations . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52(6), 2838-2853. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05137-y OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3167081998
    Crossref
  41. Tom Loucas , Tony Charman , Andrew Pickles , Emily Simonoff , Susie Chandler , David Meldrum et al. (2008). Autistic symptomatology and language ability in autism spectrum disorder and specific language impairment . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49(11), 1184-1192. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01951.x OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1596921332
    Crossref
  42. Mencap. (2023). Make it clear: A guide to making accessible information. Internal mencap document: Unpublished.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  44. Rogers S. J. (2010). Early start Denver model for young children with autism: Promoting language, learning, and engagement . Early start Denver model for young children with autism: Promoting language, learning, and engagement.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  45. Micheal Sandbank , Kristen Bottema-Beutel , Shannon Crowley LaPoint , Margaret Cassidy , Jacob I. Feldman , Marcos Canihuante et al. (2020). Intervention Effects on Language in Children With Autism: A Project AIM Meta-Analysis . Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63(5), 1537-1560. American Speech Language Hearing Association.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1044/2020_jslhr-19-00167 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3021862202
    Crossref
  46. Terry G. (2017). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research in psychology . The SAGE handbook of qualitative research in psychology, 25.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  47. Willig C. (2013). EBOOK: Introducing qualitative research in psychology . EBOOK: Introducing qualitative research in psychology.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  48. World Health Organization. (2022). International classification of diseases—Eleventh revision (ICD‐11).
    Type: Other
    Crossref