What are the autism research priorities of autistic adults in Scotland?
Eilidh Cage, Catherine J Crompton, Sarah Dantas and 7 others
PMID 38311602WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic adults in Scotland prioritized mental health, diagnosis, and lifespan services, while ranking genetic and behavioral intervention research lowest.
They explicitly rejected therapies aimed at making them less autistic, favoring support that improves daily life and accessibility instead.
Key findings
01Mental health, diagnosis, and lifespan services were the highest-ranked research priorities, whereas treatments, interventions, and causes were the lowest.
02Participants specifically rejected Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) and similar interventions, requesting research into alternatives that support rather than attempt to change autistic people.
03Priority rankings varied by identity: autistic women and LGBTQIA+ participants ranked topics affecting their specific groups significantly higher than other participants did.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was more highly educated (59.5% degree level) than the general Scottish population, which may skew priorities toward academic or advocacy-focused concerns. Views of autistic people with severe learning disabilities or those requiring significant caregiver support were likely underrepresented, as only 2.6% of participants had help completing the survey. No responses were received from five council areas, including island populations, limiting the geographical generalizability of the findings. The study relied on self-reported autism status, including those seeking diagnosis or self-identifying, which may include individuals without formal clinical confirmation.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The work was funded by a Royal Society of Edinburgh Research Network Grant (Grant No. 1724).
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that autistic adults reject all forms of support or intervention. They specifically deprioritized research into changing core autistic traits (like social skills training) but strongly prioritized research into mental health support, diagnostic access, and lifelong services. Interpreting their low ranking of 'treatments' as a refusal of help is incorrect; they are asking for help that respects their neurotype and improves their quality of life.