Embrace Difference, Challenge Normativity: Towards a Neuroqueer-informed Ethic for Supporting Autistic Adults' Intimate Lives

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. one author of this publication is identified as autistic in the project.

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Huysamen, M., Hatton, C., & Kourti, M. (2026). Embrace Difference, Challenge Normativity: Towards a Neuroqueer-informed Ethic for Supporting Autistic Adults' Intimate Lives. Feminism & Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/09593535261422510

Publication date: 14 Mar 2026 Added to AutiHub: 6 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
3
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 3 (33.3%)
  1. Monique Huysamen
  2. Chris Hatton
  3. Marianthi Kourti *

Abstract

Research consistently shows that autistic people are more likely to identify outside of cisgender heterosexuality, highlighting the importance of supporting autistic people beyond neuronormative and heteronormative relationship imperatives. This paper explores autistic adults’ perspectives, using queer and neuroqueer theory, to examine how heteronormativity and neuronormativity operate together to constrain autistic people's intimate lives. It also considers how neurodivergence can open alternative, affirming possibilities for intimate relationships and support. Five asynchronous, text-based focus groups were conducted with a diverse sample of 46 autistic adults. Facilitated by an autistic researcher over 6 weeks, these were anonymous, autistic-only spaces. Data analysis included a participatory co-analysis phase. This enabled a rigorous, neuroinclusive qualitative research design that accommodated queer temporalities and enabled attention to intersectional experience. Findings show how neuronormativity and heteronormativity combine to constrain people's intimate lives over the life course, and how autistic people often bring a neuroqueering criticality to these norms. The findings reinforce the importance of care professionals moving beyond heteronormative, neuronormative, ableist understandings of sex and relationships to support autistic people to do relationships in ways that work for them. The paper offers concrete recommendations for practice and advances a neuroqueer ethic of care relevant to health and care systems globally.

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 08:03.

Cited references
42
With a DOI
31
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
11
8 / 42 (19.0%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
2 / 42 (4.8%)
References with detected author names
41 / 42 (97.6%)
Without detected author names
1
Without a structured title
2
Without a stable identifier
11
References with raw author names still to review
1
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
105
From DOI or external metadata
105
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
1
49 / 105 (46.7%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 56 / 105 (53.3%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
17 / 105 (16.2%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 17 / 49 (34.7%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 16 / 99 (16.2%).
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