The DOI matches its Crossref record; 23 of the 23 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
‘I just don’t fit anywhere’: support experiences and future support needs of individuals with Asperger syndrome in middle adulthood
Abstract
The experiences of individuals in middle adulthood with Asperger syndrome have been the subject of little previous research, especially in terms of their experience of support services. In the present research, 11 adults with Asperger syndrome were interviewed. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to interpret the interviews. Four themes emerged from the analysis: living with Asperger syndrome; employment issues; experiences with mainstream support; and future steps towards supporting adults with Asperger syndrome. The findings highlighted the anxiety, depression, and communication difficulties that people with Asperger syndrome may experience. Much of the available support is perceived as unsuitable for individuals with Asperger syndrome. All participants wanted to remain as independent as possible, and believed an individualized approach to support would be greatly beneficial. Recommendations are made for future practice to help support adults with Asperger syndrome.
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In the citing paper
“Adults and parents described that professionals not recognising signs of autism and multiple referrals resulted in delays before and during assessment (Bargiela et al., 2016; Griffith et al., 2012; Jones et al., 2014; Raymond-Barker et al., 2018).”
From Diagnosis of autism in adulthood: A scoping review (2020) · cites this paper as Griffith et al., 2012
In the citing paper
“Lack of clear pathways to formal support after diagnosis was well-documented from the perspectives of autistic adults, families, and service providers (e.g. Crane et al., 2018; Griffith et al., 2012; Lewis, 2017b; Raymond-Barker et al., 2018).”
From Diagnosis of autism in adulthood: A scoping review (2020) · cites this paper as Griffith et al., 2012
In the citing paper
“Some autistic adults asserted that autism is a positive intrinsic difference (e.g. Lewis, 2016b; Tan, 2018), but others viewed autism more negatively and separated it from their identities (Griffith et al., 2012; Hickey et al., 2018).”
From Diagnosis of autism in adulthood: A scoping review (2020) · cites this paper as Griffith et al., 2012
In the citing paper
“As autistic adults often have difficulties with employment (e.g. Griffith et al., 2012; Marriage et al., 2009), training employers on supporting autistic adults' occupational needs may also be beneficial.”
From Diagnosis of autism in adulthood: A scoping review (2020) · cites this paper as Griffith et al., 2012
In the citing paper
“had difficulties obtaining a diagnosis and suitable support”
From Diagnosis of autism in adulthood: A scoping review (2020) · cites this paper as Griffith et al. (2012)
In the citing paper
“Adults viewed health professionals as unhelpful and lacking knowledge in AS”
From Diagnosis of autism in adulthood: A scoping review (2020) · cites this paper as Griffith et al. (2012)
In the citing paper
“Previous research has found that lack of societal understanding of autism and feeling misunderstood may contribute to stress, isolation, and depression among autistic adults (Cage et al., 2018;Gotham et al., 2014;Griffith et al., 2012;Han et al., 2022).”
From A mixed methods study of autistic adults' mental health therapy experiences (2023) · cites this paper as Griffith et al., 2012
In the citing paper
“when interviewed about their experiences of acceptance from society, adults on the autism spectrum reported that a lack of public understanding was contributing to their experiences of social isolation and anxiety (Griffith et al. 2012).”
From Experiences of autism acceptance and mental health in autistic adults (2018) · cites this paper as Griffith et al. 2012
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Metadata
- Authors
- Griffith, G. M., Totsika, V., Nash, S., & Hastings, R. P.
- Affiliations
- Bangor University (GB)
- Venue
- Autism
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2011-05-24
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 532-546
- ISSN
- 1362-3613 (ISSN-L)
- 1461-7005
- OpenAlex
- W2118012655
- Cited by
- 180
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 3.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Autism (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Family and Disability Support Research
- Social Sciences › Education › Disability Education and Employment
- Keywords
- Asperger syndrome, midlife, support services, employment, anxiety, depression, communication difficulties, independence, individualized support, autism spectrum disorder
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anxiety, Depression, Employment, Female, Health Services Needs and Demand, Humans, Male, Mental Health Services, Middle Aged, Social Work, Asperger Syndrome, Qualitative Research
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