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Strengths-based research offers inspiration for autistic people

A new project from UNSW brings to light creative ways autistic people support their wellbeing.

Published on the 10 April 2025

A new autistic-led project, Autism Supports for Comfort, Care, and Connection, opens in a new window, reveals the everyday and creative ways autistic adults use objects, services, and creatures to support their wellbeing.

Conducted by Dr Megan Rose, opens in a new window, research fellow, and Prof Deborah Lupton, opens in a new window, from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society at UNSW, the study interviewed 12 autistic Australians about the supports they rely on for entertainment, social connection, special interests, burnout recovery, sensory challenges, and overall wellbeing.

Participants also imagined their ideal new support system tailored to their needs.
A colourful illustration showing Mona in the centre surrounded by challenges she faces, along with supports that help and special interests that fill her up. Challenges include exhaustion and communication challenges, supports include transcription service and reducing stigma, special interests include subtitled movies and crafting.

Sarah Firth's illustrations creatively capture the experiences of autistic people.

A colourful illustration showing Rochelle in the centre surrounded by challenges she faces, along with supports that help and special interests that fill her up. Challenges include social misunderstanding and sensory overload, supports include colour and animal companions, special interests include crafting and fabrics and textures.

Click on the study link above to see all 12 case studies.

A colourful illustration showing Zara in the centre surrounded by challenges she faces, along with supports that help and special interests that fill her up. Challenges include overthinking and the corporate environment, supports include physical activity and visual stimming, special interests include social media and squishmallows.

A colourful illustration showing Allie in the centre surrounded by challenges she faces, along with supports that help and special interests that fill her up. Challenges include forgetting and other people, supports include working from home and texting instead of phone calls, special interests include Japan and the Star Wars franchise.

A colourful illustration showing Bethany in the centre surrounded by challenges she faces, along with support that help and special interests that fill her up. Challenges include routine changes, support include fidget toys and visual planners, special interests include podcasts about psychology, history and sociology.

To visually represent these experiences, autistic graphic illustrator Sarah Firth was commissioned to create unique ‘portraits’ of each participant. Using anonymised interview transcripts, Sarah crafted illustrations that depict the challenges, coping strategies, and special interests of each individual—without ever seeing or meeting them.

The resulting booklet combines these portraits with lay-language participant narratives, offering a powerful and personal look at how autistic people engage with non-human supports in their daily lives.

“Importantly, this is an autistic-led project with a strengths-based approach. Megan and I wanted to focus on identifying not only the challenges faced by autistic people, but also the amazingly inventive ways they made their lives more comfortable and joyful,” Professor Lupton said.