For autistic persons by autistic persons: Acceptability of a structured peer support service according to key stakeholders

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Valderrama, A., Martínez, A., Charlebois, K., Guerrero, L., & d’Arc, B. F. (2022). For autistic persons by autistic persons: Acceptability of a structured peer support service according to key stakeholders. Health Expectations, 26(1), 463-475. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13680

Publication date: 29 Nov 2022 Added to AutiHub: 5 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
5
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 5 (20.0%)
  1. Alena Valderrama
  2. Alejandra Martínez
  3. Kathleen Charlebois
  4. Lucila Guerrero *
  5. Baudouin Forgeot d’Arc

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Social support is a protective factor in the mental health of autistic people. Furthermore, prejudice regarding autistic people is a constraint for the development of social support programmes by autistic peers. METHODS: The objective of this study is to describe the anticipated acceptability of structured peer support programmes for and by autistic persons. Fifteen key stakeholders (six autistic adults, four caregivers and five service providers) participated in in-depth semistructured interviews. A qualitative thematic analysis of the content of the verbatim was carried out. FINDINGS: We found that while a structured peer social support programme is acceptable to autistic people and caregivers, there was no consensus among service providers. The latter expressed doubts about the ability of autistic people to offer support. The framing of discussions between peers, the training of peer helpers, the support for autistic leadership and an organization that considers the communicational and sensory characteristics of autistic persons, could influence adherence to such a programme. Moreover, a space without service providers is an important condition for the acceptability of a peer support programme. CONCLUSION: A structured peer support service for and by autistic persons could be an innovative way to answer the unmet support needs of autistic people. It seems essential to anticipate potential barriers and facilitators and to communicate among health professionals to promote this approach and reduce possible prejudice about the ability of autistic people to offer support to their peers. More studies are necessary. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Fifteen key stakeholders who are involved in autistic people's trajectory of service and support participated in this research. We are a research team composed of healthcare professionals and researchers, in addition to one member of our team being an autistic advocate and a mental health peer-support mentor. Two members of our team are also parents of autistic children. The comprehensibility of the questions for the interview was consulted and discussed with one autistic advocate-collaborator.

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 01:35.

Cited references
64
With a DOI
52
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
11
11 / 64 (17.2%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
2 / 64 (3.1%)
References with detected author names
62 / 64 (96.9%)
Without detected author names
2
Without a structured title
2
Without a stable identifier
11
References with raw author names still to review
2
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
245
From DOI or external metadata
245
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
2
92 / 245 (37.6%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 153 / 245 (62.4%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
16 / 245 (6.5%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 16 / 92 (17.4%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 14 / 234 (6.0%).
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