Self-reported community participation experiences and preferences of autistic adults

Although participation in communities is a key component of health and well-being, little research has explored community participation among autistic adults. A better understanding of preferences and access to various community activities among autistic adults provides intervention and policy directions in a critical area. This study reports responses from one of the largest groups of autistic adults surveyed to date. Participants reported their valued activities, number of days they participated in each activity during the previous month, and the extent to which they perceived their participation to be sufficient. Grocery shopping was the most common community activity, and most important. A wide range of activities were participated in during the previous month and more than half of the autistic adults reported that most activities were important. Autistic adults with a co-occurring intellectual disability participated in fewer activities and said that fewer activities were important. Sufficiency, or the degree to which an individual felt they participated enough in important activities, was greater for autistic adults with higher incomes and lower for autistic adults who lived independently or had co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses. Breadth of participation, or the number of important types of participation in the past month, was lower for autistic adults residing in supported living facilities and for autistic adults with co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses. Breadth was greater for autistic adults with self-reported service needs. Our study findings offer important information to guide implementation of new federal requirements aimed at promoting greater community participation among individuals covered by Medicaid.