An analysis of the reading habits of autistic adults compared to neurotypical adults and implications for future interventions

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. two authors of this publication are identified as autistic in the project.

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Chapple, M., Williams, S., Billington, J., Davis, P., & Corcoran, R. (2021). An analysis of the reading habits of autistic adults compared to neurotypical adults and implications for future interventions. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 115, 104003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104003

Publication date: 8 Jun 2021 Added to AutiHub: 20 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
5
Publication authors identified as autistic
2 / 5 (40.0%)
  1. Melissa Chapple *
  2. Sophie Williams *
  3. Josie Billington
  4. Philip Davis
  5. Rhiannon Corcoran

Abstract

BACKGROUND: While research has consistently highlighted the usefulness of narrative texts for social development, this has not been fully explored with autistic adults. It has long been assumed that autistic individuals lack the social understanding to contemplate fiction, preferring non-fiction. This study aimed to explore the self-reported reading habits of autistic adults compared to neurotypical adults, accounting for higher education demands. METHODS: A qualitative design was used, with 43 participants (22 autistic; 21 neurotypical) completing a reading habits questionnaire and subsequent semi-structured interview. RESULTS: Neurotypical participants tended to prefer fiction, with autistic participants showing no preference between fiction and non-fiction. Four themes were identified from interview data (1) reading material choices; (2) text investment; (3) in-text social understanding; and (4) reading as a social learning device. Both groups reported evidence of empathising, perspective-taking and social understanding while reading. The autistic group additionally reported social learning outcomes from reading. DISCUSSION: Findings contradict prior assumptions that autistic individuals lack the social understanding required by fiction. Instead, findings show that social benefits of narrative texts extend to autistic readers, providing important social learning experiences.

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 08:11.

Cited references
49
With a DOI
42
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
6
4 / 49 (8.2%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
1 / 49 (2.0%)
References with detected author names
48 / 49 (98.0%)
Without detected author names
1
Without a structured title
0
Without a stable identifier
4
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
104
From DOI or external metadata
104
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
28 / 104 (26.9%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 76 / 104 (73.1%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
4 / 104 (3.8%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 4 / 28 (14.3%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 3 / 90 (3.3%).
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