We collaborated on a project exploring autistic autonomy. Professor Liz Pellicano, University College London, led the work, asking Autistic* people about their experiences and why making choices about their lives mattered to them. The team then gathered these stories into a digital zine, which we're sharing today to mark Autistics Speaking Day, 1 November.
Autistic autonomy: what it means to autistic people and why it matters shares stories, art and insights from a diverse group of Autistic people, including people with high support needs. The zine aims to encourage autistic people to think about autonomy and advocate for it in their own lives.
It has been a huge privilege to hear their stories. We have learned so much from them. And now, by sharing them with you, we hope that you will feel inspired too.
Professor Liz Pellicano
What is autonomy? Why does it matter for Autistic people?
Everyone deserves a chance to shape their own life, and for that life to be as happy and healthy as it can be. This matters just as much for Autistic people as it does for everyone else.
Autonomy involves having a significant say about what you think matters in life and being able to pursue your own choices.
Some people incorrectly believe Autistic people can't be autonomous, especially if they have high support needs. But this isn't true. Autonomy is different to independence, which is living your life without help from others. Someone could be autonomous, even if they are not independent.
About the project
Liz and her colleagues gathered stories and insights from a diverse group of Autistic people with varying support needs. They ran creative workshops on autistic autonomy with Centre 404, a charity that provides support to Autistic people and people with learning disabilities.
During workshops and interviews, autistic individuals shared moments when they felt able to make the choices that mattered to them in their own lives. They also spoke about times when things, or people, had stopped that from happening.
They could talk about their experiences, write them down, draw, collage or share photos. Their perspectives and contributions were gathered into a zine on Autistic autonomy, featuring illustrations by Autistic illustrator Emily from 21 and Sensory.
Working in partnership
We can achieve more for autistic people and their families by working together. As a partner, we collaborated on the project in several ways:
- We facilitated recruitment through our Insight Group.
- We produced and designed the zine, using illustrations by Emily from 21 and Sensory
- Raising awareness of the project and the topic of autistic autonomy, promoting the zine through our networks.
This project was funded by the UCL ESRC Impact Acceleration Account KEI2024-01-76.
*At Autistica, we don't currently capitalise the word Autistic. However, to reflect the preferences of the community advisors for this project, we have done so here. We are considering making this change in our style guide, so we will ask the community soon.