No longer keeping a secret: what autistic people intend for their blogs

Purpose Blog data receives attention from researchers who intend to understand the lived experiences of autistic people. There is good discussion of the value of blog data, but with limited direction from blog authors themselves. This study aims to hear about the everyday experiences and motivations of autistic authors when they blog. Design/methodology/approach A systematic search and reflexive thematic analysis details the intentions of 43 autistic bloggers as described within blogs themselves. Findings Blogging created meaningful routes to belonging, feeling “connected but safe”. Blogs provided well-being resources for use personally (for reflection, self-acceptance and emotional expression) and to support peers. Bloggers also said they wrote to re-narrate how autism is understood by their readers, to speak with honesty without secret-keeping and to challenge stigma. Personal accounts chronicled and explained past pains caused by navigating what it means to be autistic. Blogs contained non-stigmatised and personally meaningful descriptions of autistic experiences, which the authors said were not available in other published sources. Originality/value The value of this peer support indicates the need for investment into appropriate post-diagnostic knowledge and well-being resources for autistic adults, which appear to be afforded to some people who access online communities. This study presents a summary of what benefits and empowers autistic bloggers and topics deemed important to advocate for. Researchers and policymakers are advised to hear this self-advocacy to inform their work.