Burns, Linda (2023) Lived Experiences of Adults Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
As awareness of autism is increasing, there are more adults seeking a diagnosis, however there is limited research on the impact that a diagnosis has on these adults. This study aimed to explore the experiences of adults who received their autism diagnosis after the age of 18 years old and how the diagnosis impacted their identity and sense of belonging. Participants were recruited through a local Facebook page for residents who reside in the South-West of Brisbane, Queensland. The six participants, with ages ranging from 27 and 73 years old and ages at diagnosis ranging from 25 to 69 years old, completed the semi-structured interviews with a combination of face-to-face interviews (transcribed word for word) and emailed responses to the same questions. Using thematic analysis, the data provided four themes, each with two sub-themes, which included: (1) Feelings about self before the diagnosis (including ‘inadequacy’ and ‘fitting in’), (2) Feelings when diagnosed (including ‘validation’ and ‘anger’), (3) Wishing there had been an earlier diagnosis (to ‘understand self from a younger age’ and ‘avoid negative experiences’), and (4) Feelings towards self since the diagnosis (including ‘self-acceptance’ and ‘positive community’). The overall findings of this study have revealed that all participants felt positively about receiving their diagnosis and wishing it had come earlier in their lives. This study is significant as it demonstrates to future adults considering going through the diagnosis process that receiving a diagnosis can have a positive effect on identity and sense of belonging.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Current – Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Wellbeing (1 Jan 2022 -) |
| Supervisors: | Yosheen Pillay |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 14 May 2025 02:50 |
| Last Modified: | 14 May 2025 02:50 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Autism, Diagnosis, Identity, Self, Understanding. |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52189 |
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