Researchers please respond! The need for a shift from space and voice to audience and influence in autism research

This virtual special issue was curated to explore the archive of the International Journal of Research and Method in Education (IJRME) in relation to inclusive and participatory educational research with autistic children, young people and adults. This research area has undergone significant conceptual and epistemological changes; we wanted to review how the IJRME has participated in these changes, and signal future directions for the field. Six papers from 2007-2023 were selected, showcasing a wide range of methods for including, and working with, autistic people in research. We discuss conceptual, theoretical and ethical insights and challenges that research teams have grappled with and highlight the importance of methodological plurality for enabling inclusion. We apply Lundy’s framework for voice and participation to analyse the contributions and conclude that the field, and the IJRME, has made strong progress in providing opportunities for voices to be heard and facilitating processes to enable this (Space and Voice). However, the extent to which voices are listened to (Audience) and acted upon (Influence) is much less apparent. This is our call for action: who is listening to what autistic people have to say and what changes take place because of the insights gained?