About this research

This project is led by a mix of neurodivergent and neurotypical researchers from predominantly technical, health and public and patient involvement backgrounds at The University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.

Neurodiversity is the term used to cover the range of differences in human brains regarded as part of normal variation in the human population. Autism is a type of neurodivergence associated with differences in communication, learning and sensory experience, though it can look different from person to person.

An earlier stage of this project involved a series of interviews with autistic adults, parents of autistic children and autism specialists (e.g., teachers of autistic children, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, autism researchers, and autism support workers). Together they identified that the lack of understanding and acceptance of autistic people by the general public are key concerns for both the autistic and autism communities. Social acceptance is a basic component of well-being however autistic people frequently feel excluded.

Storytelling is considered one of the oldest and most universal forms of communication. It is a well-established way to increase social acceptance and reduce prejudice.

With that in mind, this project aims to explore how physical technology combined with personal narratives can be leveraged to foster greater acceptance of autistic individuals. It has also been found that it can be cathartic and empowering for those from marginalised backgrounds to share their personal experiences.

Currently, we are trying to encourage autistic people to share their personal experiences using their preferred ways of communicating, from the comfort of their own space and in their own time. In the interests of making participation as accessible as possible, we've included a range of different activities, and encourage participants to use whatever creative methods they are most comfortable with. We hope these activities will inspire people to share a variety of different stories in whatever ways they find most comfortable, without the pressure of having to talk directly to researchers.