The Human Spectrum: A Phenomenological Enquiry within Neurodiversity.

Four researchers studied their own lived experiences to better understand autism from the inside. They found surprising similarities between autistic and non-autistic people in needing trust and connection, and how context affects emotions and social behavior. Key differences appeared in sensory experiences and social joining. The study suggests some autism traits might depend more on situations and interactions than previously thought, rather than being fixed characteristics.

This phenomenological study involved four researchers conducting a shared self-investigation of lived experiences across the autistic/non-autistic divide. Using alternating researcher-participant roles, the study explored experiences across social relationships, physical environment, development, and adult life. The investigation revealed striking commonalities between all participants in areas such as need for trust and reliability, and context-dependent regulation of emotion, sociability, and empathy. Clear differences emerged in primary sensory experience and social joining between autistic and non-autistic participants.

The findings suggest some characteristics traditionally considered intrinsic to autism, such as social misperception and reduced empathy, may be better understood as state-dependent outcomes contingent on specific contexts and interactions.

Findings suggest interventions should focus on creating trustful, predictable environments rather than trying to 'fix' intrinsic deficits. Context-dependent nature of social difficulties indicates importance of environmental modifications. Sensory differences require targeted support. Assessment should consider situational factors affecting social and empathic responses.

Very small sample size of four participants limits generalizability. Self-investigation methodology may introduce bias. Phenomenological approach, while valuable, provides subjective rather than objective data. Study design lacks control conditions or standardized measures for validation of findings.

Autism has typically been characterized by its external manifestations rather than experienced phenomenology, with consequent impacts on both research and practice. There have recently been increasing calls for more phenomenological enquiry in autism, but little actual work reported. A shared participatory phenomenological self-investigation was conducted, by the four authors, of lived experience across the autistic/non-autistic divide. The sample size was chosen as necessary for the feasibility and acceptability to participants of such work in this context.

Roles of "researcher" and "interviewee" were purposefully alternated between participants to establish trust and reciprocity. Initial phenomenological reduction or bracketing was applied to the description and recording of each participant's intimate lived experience in a number of key domains across social relationships, the physical environment, development, and in adult life. These experiences were shared within dialogue to open them to investigation and questioning from the others, with alternating interviewer and respondent roles. A third step synthesized these shared observations across individuals into themes of continuity and difference.

A number of emergent themes, such as the need for trust and reliability, and the impact of context on regulation of emotion, sociability, and empathy, showed striking commonalities between all participants. Other themes, such as primary sensory experience and social joining, pointed up more clear differences between autism and non-autism in development and the adult world. Themes of interest-focus and attention were marked by both commonalities and difference. This shared phenomenological method was taken as a first step within a new area of active investigation in autistic phenomenology.

It proved successful in eliciting detailed information on self-experience. The results suggested hypotheses for a new understanding of autism within the wider "human" spectrum of experience; for instance, the common basic need for trust and social connection but striking differences in sensory experience. It suggested that some characteristics long thought intrinsic to autism, such as social mis-perception and reduced empathy, may be alternatively understood as state-dependent outcomes contingent on specific contexts and interactions. Implications are suggested for testing in further research, developmental theory, and intervention practice.