Metaphors and myths: using the board game Dixit to understand the autistic lived experience

Autism is a condition that takes on many meanings, particularly to those with lived experience. Exploring these meanings is paramount to being able to improve the way that autistic people are treated in the wider world. To further examine autistic lived experience, a new form of qualitative analysis was developed in line with the growing trend of gamification, or creating a game-like condition for exploring different domains. In this paper, we present Dixit-elicitation, a form of qualitative inquiry that uses the popular board game Dixit to interview autistic people about their experiences living with the condition. Themes and subthemes relating to challenges, strengths, and societal expectations are discussed, along with the images found in the relevant Dixit cards, which lead to a more nuanced understanding of the metaphors and myths experienced by autistic people. These themes are discussed, along with the consideration of Dixit-elicitation as a new method for qualitative inquiry.