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Updated: May 31, 2026

Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published on: April 22, 2015
"I Feel Like They Were Made in a Very Neurotypical World": Autistic Adult Experiences and Perceptions of Social
Daniel Lodge1, Luke P Vinter2, Henry Lennon3
1School of Better Society, Health and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby, UK. daniellodge.edu@gmail.com.
Purpose:
Autistic individuals account for over one million people in the UK, and many more autistic individuals exist worldwide. This research employed an idiographic qualitative methodology to explore the perceptions and lived experiences of five autistic individuals as they navigate social rules, instructions, and criminal laws.
Methods:
Qualitative interviews with participants were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.
Results:
Analysis identified two group experiential themes: (i) Navigating the world with a different cognitive style, and (ii) Misrepresentation, ambiguity and the need for a 'why'. These themes indicate how autistic individuals experience social rules differently from non-autistic individuals. Specifically, themes illuminated how autistic people experience a social world governed by rules, norms and expectations, with some consideration towards criminal laws, that are not designed or communicated in ways that match their cognitive style.
Conclusion:
Findings underscore the importance of greater recognition and accommodation of autistic individuals' perspectives, as well as their involvement in the construction, communication, and application of social rules. Recommendations for reforming existing systems and providing additional support for autistic individuals are discussed.
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