Study 1: Assembling an autistic communication style framework

Authors

Abstract

A multivocal systematic review on autistic communication. From a neurodiversity-paradigm perspective, autistic communication is seen as different from rather than inferior to nonautistic communication (Crompton et al., 2020; Milton, 2012). In line with this, terms like “an autistic communication style” or “an autistic style of social interaction” are increasingly used to refer to a way of communicating that differs from nonautistic communication but is common and perhaps normative in autistic communication (Jameson & Bean, 2026; Sutherland et al., 2025). Individual elements of autistic communication have been investigated from a neurodiversity paradigm perspective in recent years. Only a few studies have, however, examined the proposed autistic communication style as a whole (Marocchini & Baldin, 2024; Matyjek et al., 2025; Sutherland et al., 2025). In the current study, we aim to continue this work by conducting a systematic review on neurodiversity-paradigm aligned descriptions of autistic communication. We will investigate how the concept of an autistic communication style is understood in those descriptions and assemble a framework based on the findings. We aim to create knowledge that autistic individuals find meaningful and accessible and we will use a combination of tools to take steps towards this goal (e.g. Jackson-Perry, 2024). Autistic researchers hold central positions in the project, and a community-based participatory approach is employed throughout. The review will include traditional research output (TRO), such as journal articles, nontraditional research output (NTRO), such as scholarly podcasts, and grey literature, such as public information webpage texts (Abrar et al., 2023; Beckstead et al., 2026; Zisk, 2024). From the included sources we will extract data about what communication elements are suggested to be part of an autistic communication style and how these traits are grouped in the sources. We will also explore how sources draw the line between “core communication elements” and “modulating factors” and how sources take into account intersectional effects. The resulting framework will be our conceptualization of how autistic communication is currently understood in neurodiversity-paradigm aligned theory and professional practice. We will pursue principles for accessible, participatory and community-based research (Jackson-Perry & Bertilsdotter Rosqvist, 2024; Nicolaidis et al., 2019) throughout the study. We will strive towards an intersectional approach, that is, we aim to be cognizant of how factors such as ethnicity, income, dis/ability and queerness interact in the content of and our engagement with the sources (Hyler & Salas-Provance, 2023; Nair et al., 2026; Piepzna-Samarasinha, 2019). We recognize that working towards these ideals is an ongoing process, and we are open to being held accountable for any shortcomings. As a part of the participatory approach, our research team will comprise of both community-based and university-based researchers. We use the word community-based researcher to refer to autistic people who are currently not affiliated with a university or other research institution, and university-based researchers to refer to people who are affiliated with such an institution. The project aims to develop a framework describing autistic communication from the neurodiversity perspective and take first step in assessing its validity. The framework could be refined and extended in future research and lay ground for cross-disciplinary discussions. We integrate perspectives different academic fields, from clinical therapy practice and from the autistic community to bridge boundaries that may limit our current understanding of autistic communication. In a similar vein, we take intersectional effects into account when analysing and interpreting the data. We actively ask who and what our research is for and what counts as rigorous and meaningful scholarship in this field of study. We hope that the resulting framework could be used by autistic people and people close to them looking for tools to reflect on communication and connection in their relations. Findings could also inform therapists, educators, and employers who seek to support communication across different neurocognitive profiles in their respective settings. Ultimately, we seek to be part of an ongoing practice of collective meaning-making and reciprocal care in autistic and intersecting communities. References Abrar, M. F., Khan, M. S., Khan, I., Ali, G., & Shah, S. (2023). Digital information credibility: Towards a set of guidelines for quality assessment of grey literature in multivocal literature review. Applied Sciences, 13, 4483. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13074483 Beckstead, L. (host), Llinares, D. (host), Harris, J., & McGregor Hannah (guest). (2026). Podcast Studies: Practice Into Theory - Author Conversations Part 2: Jasmine Harris and Hannah McGregor. [Audio podcast episode]. In Podcast studies podcast. Lori Beckstead & Dario Llinares. Crompton, C. J., Ropar, D., Evans-Williams, C. V. M., Flynn, E. G., & Fletcher-Watson, S. (2020). Autistic peer-to-peer information transfer is highly effective. Autism, 24(7), 1704–1712. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361320919286 Hyler, Y. D., & Salas-Provance, M. B. (2023). 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(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. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361319830523 Piepzna-Samarasinha, L. L. (2019). Care work: Dreaming disability justice. Arsenal Pulp Press. Sutherland, H. E. A., Fletcher-Watson, S., Long, J., & Crompton, C. J. (2025). ‘A difference in typical values’: Autistic perspectives on autistic social communication. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 27(1), 313–329. https://doi.org/10.16993/sjdr.1184 Zisk, A. H. (2024). Meaningful engagement with neurodivergent public work. In H. Bertilsdotter Rosqvist & D. Jackson-Perry (Eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Research Methods and Ethics in Neurodiversity Studies (pp. 325–338). Palgrave Macmillian. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-66127-3_19

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