Crafting Livable Worlds: Sensory, Creative, and Nonhuman Supports in Autistic Adults’ Everyday Lives

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Rose, M. C. & Lupton, D. (2026). Crafting Livable Worlds: Sensory, Creative, and Nonhuman Supports in Autistic Adults’ Everyday Lives. Autism in Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1177/25739581261426633

Publication date: 15 Mar 2026 Added to AutiHub: 2 Oct 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) OpenAlex source

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Authors

Publication authors
2
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 2 (50.0%)
  1. Megan Catherine Rose *
  2. Deborah Lupton

Abstract

Background: Many autistic adults still live in worlds that don’t understand or accommodate their sensory needs, creative interests, or ways of structuring everyday life. We explored how autistic adults use nonhuman supports such as objects, plants, animals, creative activities, and structured routines to navigate sensory and emotional demands and sustain their well-being. Methods: Led by an autistic researcher, we conducted qualitative interviews with 12 autistic adults in Australia to reveal how everyday nonhuman supports helped them manage overwhelm, reduce decision fatigue, and affirm personal identity. Results: Participants described sensory rituals including brewing tea in a familiar mug, tending to gardens, or carrying plush toys, alongside creative pursuits such as drawing, replaying games, and decorating spaces with bright character-themed items. Many also developed tailored systems, using planners, checklists, and structured shopping, to ease executive functioning challenges. However, the use of these supports was often stigmatized and incurred scrutiny from others. Participants worried that plushies or playful décor might be judged as childish or unprofessional. In the face of exclusion, social discrimination, and stigma, they envisioned more inclusive futures, imagining workplaces that normalize sensory breaks, planning tools designed for autistic adults, and community hubs blending plants, crafts, and social connection. Conclusion: Our findings challenge deficit-focused views of autism, highlighting instead how autistic people creatively build meaningful, sustaining environments. By centering autistic perspectives, this study calls for supports and spaces that respect and celebrate autistic ways of being, moving toward genuine acceptance and belonging.

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 11:55.

Cited references
45
With a DOI
43
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
2
18 / 45 (40.0%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
0 / 45 (0.0%)
References with detected author names
45 / 45 (100.0%)
Without detected author names
0
Without a structured title
0
Without a stable identifier
2
References with raw author names still to review
0
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
157
From DOI or external metadata
157
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
114 / 157 (72.6%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 43 / 157 (27.4%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
38 / 157 (24.2%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 38 / 114 (33.3%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 23 / 124 (18.5%).
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