Self-Reported Strengths and Difficulties by Autistic Young Adults
Reported strengths and difficulties varied widely among autistic adults, highlighting the heterogeneity of autistic experiences. Autistic adults reported strengths in interpersonal skills/traits and resilience that are not typically acknowledged in current literature. They also reported difficulties across multiple areas of life not directly connected to autism. Our findings expand ideas about what strengths autistic individuals have and advocate for wraparound supports to help autistic individuals access their strengths, reducing the burden of self-reliance through addressing unmet needs.
Authors
- S. Bishop
- Julie Lounds Taylor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3904-3476)
- China Parenteau (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6812-9263)
- Georgia Herbert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0422-826X)
- Jessica Khaw
- Jacqui Ferraiolo
- Ryan Adams
- Shuting Zheng
Institutions
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (US)
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
- Published
- 2026-02-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-026-07260-0
- Primary Topic
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of Mental Health