Affective Contact in Autism: A Phenomenological Study of the Emotional Experiences of Autistic Adults

Since the first descriptions of autism, difficulties with affective contact (e.g., interpersonal exchanges of feelings between individuals) have been considered a common feature of autism spectrum disorder, and these difficulties frequently manifest in occupational therapy interventions.

To (1) explore how autistic young adults describe their emotions and (2) suggest ways to improve the affective contact between autistic clients and their therapists.

Virtual focus group interviews.

Online (Qualtrics) survey and Zoom focus groups.

Autistic adults (N = 24) who met the following inclusion criteria: self-reported diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder or Asperger syndrome, age 18-35 yr, able to understand English, and able to participate in a focus group or individual interview using verbal or written communication.

Two themes were noted and are presented in this article: (1) Autistic people experience complex emotions and (2) autistic people's emotions are often (mis)measured and (mis)understood.

The findings indicate that autistic people experience diverse, complex, and intense emotions and that these are connected to occupation. This suggests that occupational therapists must be attuned to the emotional dimension of occupation when working with autistic clients and that autistic clients may benefit from the use of embodied language to reference their emotions. Occupational therapists can help autistic clients recognize their bodily changes when experiencing emotions and to better identify and regulate their emotions. The results also show that there were many cases nonautistic people misinterpreted the emotions of autistic people on the basis of their facial expressions or words. Plain-Language Summary: This article provides information about the emotional experiences of autistic people. The study found that autistic people experience complex emotions and that those emotions are often misinterpreted or misunderstood. The author provides information on how occupational therapists can use a neurodiversity-affirming and person-centered approach to support the emotional experiences of people in the autism community. Positionality Statement: In this article, identity-first language is used when referring to autistic adults. This deliberate choice aligns with the principles of the neurodiversity-affirming movement. Autistic self-advocates have indicated a preference for this style of language over person-first language. The author would also like to acknowledge their positionality. As both a neurodivergent researcher and a self-advocate for the disabled community, this style of language aligns with their own experiences of and beliefs about their disability.