"Peas in a pod": Oral History Reflections on Autistic Identity in Family and Community by Late-Diagnosed Adults.

Researchers interviewed 26 Australian adults who were diagnosed with autism after age 35. These adults shared their life stories and talked about how getting diagnosed later in life affected them. The study found that connecting with other autistic people and feeling part of an autistic community was very important to these adults.

This participatory oral history study interviewed 26 Australian adults diagnosed with autism after age 35, examining their life experiences and the impact of late diagnosis. Participants grew up when autism awareness was limited. Through reflexive thematic analysis, researchers identified three key themes related to shared autistic identity: conceptualising the autistic family, creating autistic community, and contesting autistic identity. The study highlights how late-diagnosed autistic adults actively create shared identity and emphasises the critical importance of autistic community connections for this population.

Clinicians should consider facilitating connections to autistic communities as part of post-diagnostic support. Understanding identity formation processes can inform counselling approaches for late-diagnosed adults. Community-based interventions may be particularly beneficial for this population.

Small sample size of 26 participants limits generalisability. Qualitative design provides rich insights but cannot establish causal relationships. Sample limited to Australian context and those diagnosed after age 35, potentially limiting broader applicability.

In this paper, we report on a participatory oral history study documenting the lives of late-diagnosed autistic adults in Australia. We interviewed 26 autistic adults about their life history and the impact of late diagnosis. All were diagnosed after the age of 35, growing up in an era when autism was not well known. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we uncovered a rich body of reflections on shared Autistic identity and identified three major themes within that data set: 'conceptualising the Autistic family', 'creating Autistic community', and 'contesting Autistic identity'.

Overall, the study provides insights into the active creation of shared Autistic identity and the importance of Autistic community to these late-diagnosed autistic adults.