Presence Without Belonging: A Conceptual Analysis of Loneliness in Autism

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Srinivasan, H. (2026). Presence Without Belonging: A Conceptual Analysis of Loneliness in Autism. Autism in Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1177/25739581261448524

Publication date: 11 May 2026 Added to AutiHub: 24 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
1
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 1 (100.0%)
  1. Hari Srinivasan *

Abstract

Loneliness is widely reported among autistic adults and is associated with adverse mental health outcomes. However, loneliness in autism is often framed as a consequence of social isolation, reduced social motivation, or individual social difficulty. This article argues that these framings—while consistent with general loneliness models—overlook a central feature of autistic loneliness: it frequently occurs amid ongoing social participation. Drawing on belonging theory, neurodiversity scholarship, epistemic justice, minority stress, and broader loneliness frameworks, this conceptual analysis introduces the Presence Without Belonging (PWB) framework. PWB distinguishes social presence from belonging and identifies three conditions required for belonging: recognition (being understood and taken seriously as a social subject), access (participation without extraordinary communicative, sensory, or temporal effort), and sustainability (participation that can be maintained over time without disproportionate cumulative cost). When one or more conditions are absent, participation may persist without belonging, producing loneliness despite contact. By reframing loneliness as a relational and structural outcome rather than an individual deficit, this analysis provides a foundation for more precise measurement, more accurate clinical formulation, and more responsible approaches to inclusion.

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Bibliography cited by this reference

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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 14:09.

Cited references
53
With a DOI
45
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
8
19 / 53 (35.8%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
2 / 53 (3.8%)
References with detected author names
51 / 53 (96.2%)
Without detected author names
2
Without a structured title
2
Without a stable identifier
8
References with raw author names still to review
1
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
168
From DOI or external metadata
168
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
1
107 / 168 (63.7%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 61 / 168 (36.3%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
31 / 168 (18.5%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 31 / 107 (29.0%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 16 / 140 (11.4%).
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