Abstract
Approximately one-third of autistics report intimate relationship experience, but few studies have explored neuromixed relationships from the perspectives of non-autistic partners. Non-autistic partners increasingly use peer-led online groups to seek support. The purpose of this study was to capture a theory that reflects the basic social experience of individuals who use these support groups using classic Glaserian grounded theory methodology. Online interviews were conducted with 162 non-autistics who believed that they were in neuromixed relationships. Data were concurrently collected and analyzed using constant comparative analysis. Participants described varying views of autism, from a difference to a disorder, which defined the context of their relationships. Five relationship profiles emerged—mutual partnership: viewed partners as = companionship: viewed partners as friends but lacked a deeper connection; caregiving: viewed partners as dependents and compared relationships to parent–child dyads; detachment: viewed relationships as broken beyond repair and isolated selves from partners; and discriminatory: believed and circulated negative generalizations about autism. Many participants who were dissatisfied in their relationships shared that their partners were not formally evaluated and did not self-identify as autistic. Future research should explore ways that autism labels are (mis)applied by the general public based on negative stereotypes about autism.
Lay abstract
Individuals who use peer-led online support groups for partners of autistics describe diverse views of autism, with some describing autism as a difference and others describing it as a disorder. I conducted online interviews with 162 non-autistics who believed they were in relationships with autistics and who participated in online support groups on social media. I analyzed their responses by constantly comparing each interview to previous interviews to develop a theory about their social experiences. As many as one-third of autistics participate in romantic relationships, and many of their partners seek support through groups on social media. Few studies explore what it is like to be a non-autistic person who is in a relationship with an autistic person. The way that participants viewed autism influenced the way that they viewed themselves, their partners, and their relationships. Many participants who were dissatisfied in their relationships shared that they believed their partners were autistic, but their partners had never been formally evaluated and did not self-identify as autistic. Future research should explore ways that autism labels are (mis)applied by the general public based on negative stereotypes about autism.
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