Examining the Support Experiences of Autistic Young People with Multiple Marginalized Identities in the United Kingdom
Davies, J., Islaam, L., Carter, S., Redmayne, B. J. M., Cooper, K., Mandy, W., & Crane, L. (2024). Examining the Support Experiences of Autistic Young People with Multiple Marginalized Identities in the United Kingdom. Autism in Adulthood, 8(3), 385-397. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2024.0059
This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:
Authors
Abstract
Background: The challenges that autistic young people face when accessing support have been well documented. However, such issues may be exacerbated for autistic young people who have additional marginalized identities (e.g., being from a minority ethnic group or minority gender) compared with autistic young people who do not have additional marginalized identities. Methods: We took a participatory approach that included autistic young people with multiple marginalized identities at every stage of the research process. Our team interviewed 13 autistic young people (aged 16–25 years) who also identified with other marginalized identities. We analyzed the data using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: We generated one superordinate theme, which reflected how accessing support was perceived to be challenging for all autistic young people but especially so for this group with multiple marginalized identities. Within the superordinate theme, we generated three subthemes that provide examples of how common challenges were felt to be exacerbated for our participants. First, our participants reported difficulties in obtaining timely diagnoses, which hindered access to appropriate support services. Second, they expressed a sense of exclusion from existing support structures, with services often failing to address their unique needs. Finally, cultural and linguistic barriers meant that our participants’ parents and caregivers did not always know how to help them get support. As a result, some of our participants had to advocate for themselves. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the need for more inclusive and accessible support services that meet the diverse needs of all autistic young people, including those with multiple marginalized identities. Recommendations include offering a variety of support options to accommodate individual preferences and providing ways to empower all autistic people to advocate for their support needs.
Bibliography cited by this reference
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.
-
Mary Jo Hatch , Majken Schultz (2004). Organizational identity: a reader .Type: Book OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1513067964OpenAlex
-
Laurent Mottron (2021). A radical change in our autism research strategy is needed: Back to prototypes . Autism Research, 14(10), 2213-2220. Wiley.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Sandra Thom-Jones *Autistic author. Learn more… , Chloe S. Gordon , Simone Mizzi (2023). Representation of autism in fictional media: A systematic review of media content and its impact on viewer knowledge and understanding of autism . Autism, 27(8), 2205-2217. SAGE Publications.
-
Nancy Cheak‐Zamora , Michelle Teti , Jennifer First (2015). ‘Transitions are Scary for our Kids, and They're Scary for us’: Family Member and Youth Perspectives on the Challenges of Transitioning to Adulthood with Autism . Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 28(6), 548-560. Wiley.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
González Moreno, Andrés Santiago (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . American Psychiatric Association.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Yunhe Huang , Samuel R. C. Arnold , Kitty‐Rose Foley , Julian N Trollor (2020). Diagnosis of autism in adulthood: A scoping review . Autism, 24(6), 1311-1327. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Virginia Braun , Victoria Clarke (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology . Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Nathan V. Mallipeddi , Rachel A. VanDaalen (2022). Intersectionality Within Critical Autism Studies: A Narrative Review . Autism in Adulthood, 4(4), 281-289. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Jade Davies , Kate Cooper , Estelle Killick , Evelyn Sam , Molly Healy , Grace Thompson *Autistic author. Learn more… et al. (2024). Autistic identity: A systematic review of quantitative research . Autism Research, 17(5), 874-897. Wiley.
-
Joanne M. Hall (1999). Marginalization Revisited: Critical, Postmodern, and Liberation Perspectives . Advances in Nursing Science, 22(2), 88-102. Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health).Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Mahmoud M. Elsherif , Sara Lil Middleton , Jenny Mai Phan *Autistic author. Learn more… , Flavio Azevedo , Bethan Iley *Autistic author. Learn more… , Magdalena Grose‐Hodge et al. (2022). Bridging Neurodiversity and Open Scholarship: How Shared Values Can Guide Best Practices for Research Integrity, Social Justice, and Principled Education . MetaArXiv Preprints. Center for Open Science.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Jamie N. Pearson , Hedda Meadan (2021). FACES: An Advocacy Intervention for African American Parents of Children With Autism . Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 59(2), 155-171. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Joanne M. Hall , Patricia E. Stevens , Afaf Ibrahim Meleis (1994). Marginalization . Advances in Nursing Science, 16(4), 23-41. Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health).Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
M. Ariel Cascio , Jonathan A. Weiss , Éric Racine (2021). Making Autism Research Inclusive by Attending to Intersectionality: a Review of the Research Ethics Literature . Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 8(1), 22-36. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Melanie Tervalon , Jann Murray-García (1998). Cultural Humility Versus Cultural Competence: A Critical Distinction in Defining Physician Training Outcomes in Multicultural Education . Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 9(2), 117-125. Project MUSE.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Christina Nicolaidis , Dora M Raymaker *Autistic author. Learn more… , Elesia Ashkenazy *Autistic author. Learn more… , Katherine McDonald , Sebastian Dern , Amelia E.V. Baggs et al. (2015). “Respect the way I need to communicate with you”: Healthcare experiences of adults on the autism spectrum . Autism, 19(7), 824-831. SAGE Publications.
-
Monique Botha *Autistic author. Learn more… , Kristen Gillespie-Lynch (2022). Come as You Are: Examining Autistic Identity Development and the Neurodiversity Movement through an Intersectional Lens . Human Development, 66(2), 93-112. S. Karger AG.
-
Laura Crane , Caroline Hearst *Autistic author. Learn more… , Maria Ashworth , Jade Davies , Elisabeth L. Hill (2021). Supporting Newly Identified or Diagnosed Autistic Adults: An Initial Evaluation of an Autistic-Led Programme . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51(3), 892-905. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
-
Kayla M. Malone , Jamie N. Pearson , Kayla N. Palazzo , Lonnie D. Manns , Amelia Q. Rivera , DeVoshia L. Mason Martin (2022). The Scholarly Neglect of Black Autistic Adults in Autism Research . Autism in Adulthood, 4(4), 271-280. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Samuel Tromans , Verity Chester , Eli Gemegah , Kristian Roberts , Zoe Morgan , Guiqing Lily Yao et al. (2021). Autism identification across ethnic groups: a narrative review . Advances in Autism, 7(3), 241-255. Emerald.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Evelyn M. Simien (2007). Doing Intersectionality Research: From Conceptual Issues to Practical Examples . Politics & Gender, 3(2), 264-271. Cambridge University Press (CUP).Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Ange-Marie Hancock (2007). When Multiplication Doesn't Equal Quick Addition: Examining Intersectionality as a Research Paradigm . Perspectives on Politics, 5(1), 63-79. Cambridge University Press (CUP).Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Ryan A. Miller , Brett Ranon Nachman *Autistic author. Learn more… , Richmond D. Wynn (2020). "I Feel Like They are all Interconnected": Understanding the Identity Management Narratives of Autistic LGBTQ College Students . College Student Affairs Journal, 38(1), 1-15. Project MUSE.
-
Bappaditya Adak , Santoshi Halder (2017). Systematic Review on Prevalence for Autism Spectrum Disorder with Respect to Gender and Socio-Economic Status . Journal of Mental Disorders and Treatment, 03(01). OMICS Publishing Group.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Anders Nordahl-Hansen , Magnus Tøndevold , Sue Fletcher‐Watson (2018). Mental health on screen: A DSM-5 dissection of portrayals of autism spectrum disorders in film and TV . Psychiatry Research, 262, 351-353. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Georgia Lockwood Estrin , Victoria Milner , Debbie Spain , Francesca Happé , Emma Colvert (2021). Barriers to Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis for Young Women and Girls: a Systematic Review . Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 8(4), 454-470. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Laura Crane , Fern Adams , Georgia Harper , Jack Welch , Elizabeth Pellicano (2019). ‘Something needs to change’: Mental health experiences of young autistic adults in England . Autism, 23(2), 477-493. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Jade Davies , Ben Redmayne , Leon Allain , Lucy Portway , Will Mandy , Kate Cooper et al. (2024). The Codesign and Initial Evaluation of a Peer Support Program for Autistic Young Adults . Autism in Adulthood, 7(5), 650-662. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Laura Crane , Richard Batty , Hanna Adeyinka , Lorna Goddard , Lucy A. Henry , Elisabeth L. Hill (2018). Autism Diagnosis in the United Kingdom: Perspectives of Autistic Adults, Parents and Professionals . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(11), 3761-3772. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Ericka M Lewis , Sarah Dababnah , Kelley R Hollie , Irang Kim , Yao Wang , Wendy E Shaia (2022). The creator did not give me more than I can handle: Exploring coping in parents of Black autistic children . Autism, 26(8), 2015-2025. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Carmen F. Salazar , Lyndon P. Abrams (2005). Conceptualizing Identity Development in Members of Marginalized Groups . Journal of Professional Counseling: Practice, Theory & Research, 33(1), 47-59. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Vasiliki Kentrou , Danielle MJ de Veld , Kawita JK Mataw , Sander Begeer (2019). Delayed autism spectrum disorder recognition in children and adolescents previously diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder . Autism, 23(4), 1065-1072. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Amal M Hussein , Elizabeth Pellicano , Laura Crane (2019). Understanding and awareness of autism among Somali parents living in the United Kingdom . Autism, 23(6), 1408-1418. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Heiko Schmengler , David Cohen , Sylvie Tordjman , Maria Melchior (2021). Autism Spectrum and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children of Immigrants: A Brief Review of Current Evidence and Implications for Clinical Practice . Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 566368-566368. Frontiers Media SA.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Jeremy R. Parr , Sarah Wigham , William Farr , Ian Male , Lucy Isard , Rhianna Lees et al. (2024). A national research survey of childhood autism assessment services in the UK: empirical evidence of diagnostic practice, challenges and improvement opportunities . BMJ Paediatrics Open, 8(1), e002496. BMJ.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Christina Nicolaidis , Dora M Raymaker *Autistic author. Learn more… , Steven K. Kapp *Autistic author. Learn more… , Amelia E.V. Baggs , Elesia Ashkenazy *Autistic author. Learn more… , Katherine McDonald et al. (2019). The AASPIRE practice-based guidelines for the inclusion of autistic adults in research as co-researchers and study participants . Autism, 23(8), 2007-2019. SAGE Publications.
-
Jessica Tupou , Chevelle Ataera , Carla Wallace-Watkin , Hannah Waddington (2024). Supporting tamariki takiwātanga Māori (autistic Māori children): Exploring the experience of early childhood educators . Autism, 28(3), 705-717. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Ashleigh Hillier , Nicholas Gallop , Eva Mendes , Dylan Tellez , Abigail Buckingham , Afreen Nizami et al. (2020). LGBTQ + and autism spectrum disorder: Experiences and challenges . International Journal of Transgender Health, 21(1), 98-110. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Amber Makino , Laura Hartman , Gillian King , Pui Ying Wong , Melanie Penner (2021). Parent Experiences of Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis: a Scoping Review . Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 8(3), 267-284. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Virginia Braun , Victoria Clarke (2019). Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis . Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 11(4), 589-597. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Maire Claire Diemer , Emily D Gerstein , April Regester (2022). Autism presentation in female and Black populations: Examining the roles of identity, theory, and systemic inequalities . Autism, 26(8), 1931-1946. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Jamie N. Pearson , Amanda L. Traficante , Lauren M. Denny , Kayla Malone , Evadine Codd (2020). Meeting FACES: Preliminary Findings from a Community Workshop for Minority Parents of Children with Autism in Central North Carolina . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(1), 1-11. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Tajfel H. (1979). Organizational Identity: A Reader . Organizational Identity: A Reader, 56.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Yulin Cheng , Bethlehem Tekola , Anand Balasubramanian , Laura Crane , Kathy Leadbitter (2023). Neurodiversity and community-led rights-based movements: Barriers and opportunities for global research partnerships . Autism, 27(3), 573-577. SAGE Publications.
-
Mary Peachey , Laura Crane (2024). “I Don't Understand Their Sense of Belonging”: Exploring How Nonbinary Autistic Adults Experience Gender . Autism in Adulthood, 6(4), 462-473. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Mariko Hosozawa , Amanda Sacker , Will Mandy , Emily Midouhas , Eirini Flouri , Noriko Cable (2020). Determinants of an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in childhood and adolescence: Evidence from the UK Millennium Cohort Study . Autism, 24(6), 1557-1565. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
(n.d.). Joseph Rowntree Foundation. UK Poverty 2024: The essential guide to understanding poverty in the UK. https://www.jrf.org.uk/uk-poverty-2024-the-essential-guide-to-understanding-poverty-in-the-ukType: OtherCrossref
-
(n.d.). NHS Digital. Autism Waiting Time Statistics. https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/autism-statisticsType: OtherCrossref
-
Bryony Beresford , Suzanne Mukherjee , Emese Mayhew , Emily Heavey , A‐La Park , Lucy Stuttard et al. (2020). Evaluating specialist autism teams’ provision of care and support for autistic adults without learning disabilities: the SHAPE mixed-methods study . Health Services and Delivery Research, 8(48), 1-200. National Institute for Health and Care Research.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Laura Crane , Jade Davies , Anne Fritz , Sarah O’Brien , Alison Worsley , Anna Remington (2022). Autistic young people’s experiences of transitioning to adulthood following the Children and Families Act 2014 . British Educational Research Journal, 48(1), 22-48. Wiley.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Elizabeth Pellicano , Wenn Lawson *Autistic author. Learn more… , Gabrielle Hall *Autistic author. Learn more… , Joanne Mahony , Rozanna Lilley , Melanie Heyworth *Autistic author. Learn more… et al. (2022). “I Knew She'd Get It, and Get Me”: Participants' Perspectives of a Participatory Autism Research Project . Autism in Adulthood, 4(2), 120-129. SAGE Publications.
-
Kate Cooper , Annabel Burnley , Will Mandy (2023). Autism Transition to Adulthood Groups (ATAG) . http://isrctn.com/. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Jodie Smith , Aspasia Stacey Rabba , Lin Cong , Poulomee Datta , Emma Dresens , Gabrielle Hall *Autistic author. Learn more… et al. (2023). “They Were Saying That I Was a Typical Chinese Mum”: Chinese Parents’ Experiences of Parent-Teacher Partnerships for Their Autistic Children . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 53(12), 4888-4900. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
-
Braun V. (2013). Successful Qualitative Research: A Practical Guide for Beginners . Successful qualitative research: A practical guide for beginners.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Emeline Han , Katrina Scior , Eric Heath , Kana Grace , Laura Crane (2023). Development of stigma-related support for autistic adults: Insights from the autism community . Autism, 27(6), 1676-1689. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
John Jamieson , Virginia Braun , Victoria Clarke (2014). Successful Qualitative Research: A practical guide for beginners . QMiP Bulletin, 1(18), 39-41. British Psychological Society.OpenAlex
-
Laura Crane , Caroline Hearst *Autistic author. Learn more… , Maria Ashworth , Jade Davies (2023). Evaluating the online delivery of an autistic-led programme to support newly diagnosed or identified autistic adults . Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 8, 23969415231189608-23969415231189608. SAGE Publications.
-
NHS (1995). Together We Stand: Thematic Review of the Commissioning, Role and Management of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services . Together We Stand: Thematic Review of the Commissioning, Role and Management of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Kalyanpur M (2012). Cultural Reciprocity in Special Education . Cultural Reciprocity in Special Education.Type: OtherCrossref