Be(com)ing we: Pathways to sharing ways of being in the world to support an understanding of Autism

Autism knowledge has traditionally been created by people who are not themselves Autistic. Autism is complex and hard to understand, particularly for people who are not Autistic, and dominant discourses tend to pathologise autism. Autistic-created knowledge is recognised as more relevant and less stigmatising. My portfolio contains my writings about autism that have been shared in personal blogs and professional work. The critical review explores the importance of authenticity in my writings and how the materials in my three portfolio projects have been used to support an understanding of autism across a range of audiences.<br/><br/>I use autoethnography as a research method for analysing and interpreting my projects and for connecting my personal experiences to broader cultural phenomena. Three research questions are explored: What is the importance of authenticity in my writings for an understanding of autism? In what ways does portfolio content meet the needs and interests of target audiences? What strategies are useful for supporting audience/learner engagement with the material? The capacity of autoethnography to communicate with others and improve lives is especially pertinent in Autistic autoethnography given the recognised need for Autistic knowledge producers.<br/><br/>The critical review reveals how my writings (included in my three portfolio projects) challenge pathologised perspectives on autism by offering detailed and authentic strengths-based counter-narratives of autism. These authentic accounts of being Autistic highlight oppressive societal conditions, and strategies that I (and other Autistic people) utilise to be safe within those oppressive conditions. The critical review is used to explore how I engage people and draw upon my identities as professional, parent and Autistic person to connect with audiences in relatable ways. A collective capacity for change within society is explored using ideas from Haraway (2016) and Zahavi (2025). The critical review documents how I connect with my audiences to create spaces where change may occur.<br/><br/>My portfolio and critical review advances Autistic-authored knowledge, positioning lived experience as expertise that can reshape educational, social and cultural understandings of autism, and reframe autism as a form of human diversity, not pathology.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Doctoral Thesis

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Student thesis

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Reardon, Emma

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Conn, Carmel
• Rees, Beth

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

oai:pure.atira.dk:studenttheses/556318e7-3260-443a-aed4-49a3bd2bbc16

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:pure.atira.dk:studenttheses/556318e7-3260-443a-aed4-49a3bd2bbc16