"Knowing That I'm Not Necessarily Alone in My Struggles": UK Autistic Performing Arts Professionals' Experiences of a Mentoring Programme.
Eleanor Buckley, Elizabeth Pellicano, Anna Remington
PMID 34966983WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic performing arts professionals described a mentoring programme as a rare chance to feel less isolated and gain confidence.
Four of six mentees showed reliable gains in self-efficacy, but the small pilot nature means this is exploratory, not proof of efficacy.
Key findings
01Reliable improvements in occupational self-efficacy were observed in four of the six mentees who completed both baseline and post-programme measures.
02Mentees with autistic mentors reported that the shared identity made the mentorship particularly valuable, allowing for deeper relationships and more tailored advice.
03The programme structure required significant flexibility, as participants had contrasting preferences for session formats and timing, and no single approach suited all.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample was very small (15 mentees) and highly selective (performing arts professionals in the UK), limiting generalisability to other autistic populations or industries. The study was a pilot with low power; statistical comparisons between groups were not possible due to sample size. Mentor-mentee matching was not blind, which may have influenced outcomes. Attrition occurred: two mentees did not complete the intervention as specified, and one did not complete follow-up measures. The bespoke self-efficacy scale, while internally consistent, is not a standardised measure for broader clinical use. The study relied on self-reported outcomes, which can be subject to bias.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and Rada-in-Business. No other conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the positive self-efficacy results as evidence that mentoring works for all autistic adults. The sample was tiny, highly specific to the performing arts, and only half of the analysable mentees showed reliable change. This is a feasibility study, not an efficacy trial.