Stories of Skills and Values: What Therapists Can Learn From Autistic Young People in Mumbai, India

Abstract

Research on autism in the past two decades has primarily focused on medical characteristics and psychological consequences. What remains largely undocumented are the lived experiences of autistic young people. The current study explores the skills and values of autistic young people in the Indian context from the first-person perspective. The inquiry was guided by narrative inquiry and dialogical narrative analysis, embedded in the social constructionist framework. Six autistic young people, between 10 and 18 years old, were interviewed; analysis of the results brought forth four commonalities of skills and values: (1) diverse understandings of autism; (2) understanding social situations, their own needs, and others’ responses; (3) thinking outside the box; and (4) helping and caring for others. Rather than having a diagnosis of autism labeled as a deficit, these findings open up possibilities for therapy work to look different by supporting people to hold on to their identity as autistic people.