Inquiry and innovation: Considering curiosity and creativity in autism

Curiosity and creativity are faculties that support innovation, achievement and emotional well-being. They are early-appearing and lifelong, serving a critical role in human development. In this paper, we suggest that these essential capabilities have been broadly overlooked in our understanding and description of development in autistic individuals. We critically evaluate two assumptions: that curiosity and creativity are (1) diminished and/or (2) different in autism. In support of future research, we provide a number of suggestions for how we, and other important stakeholders like educators, parents, and providers, can deepen our appreciation for the ways in which curiosity and creativity might be expressed in autism. We also aim to highlight the ways in which curiosity and creativity can support personal growth and flourishing across the lifespan in autistic individuals, just as they do for nonautistic individuals.