Resilience and Coping Strategies in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Parisa Ghanouni, Stephanie Quirke
PMID 35079928WHAT IT FOUND
Adults with ASD described resilience as adjusting routines, using supports, recognising strengths, and processing trauma, while facing pressure to conform and negative assumptions about abilities.
Key findings
01Adults with ASD and stakeholders identified three areas related to resilience and coping: societal expectations and conformity, adjusting daily routines, and learning over time.
02Participants described adjusting daily routines by engaging in recreation and leisure, seeking emotional support, and adopting technology.
03Participants described learning over time through recognising strengths and weaknesses, education and advocacy, and processing traumatic experiences.
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 small and convenience-sampled, with 13 adults with ASD, five parents, and four service providers, so it may not represent broader populations. Only adults with ASD who could communicate verbally in English were included, so the study does not capture experiences of adults who use alternative communication or who are nonverbal. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show how coping strategies change over the life course. Diagnoses were self-reported by adults with ASD, and the supplied text does not report confirmation from records. The paper did not examine race/ethnicity or gender identity, and all parents and service providers were female.
Declared interests
Dalhousie University funded the study. The supplied text does not report other conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these coping strategies as proven interventions. This qualitative study reports participants' experiences, not tested effects. Do not assume the findings apply to all adults with ASD, because only verbally fluent adults were included.