‘It is my life don’t take that choice from me’: Autistic young adults’ experiences, preferences and needs regarding autistic peer support
Abstract
Autistic peer support, as a two-way system of help, is uniquely positioned to address high rates of loneliness and mental health challenges among autistic young adults. We aimed to inform the development of autistic peer support programs aligned with participants’ preferences and needs through a mixed methods online survey study. A total of 73 autistic young adults (aged 18-30; 34 women, 19 non-binary, 11 men, 7 transgender men, 1 transgender woman, 1 undisclosed) completed a survey covering peer interactions, peer support preferences and needs, as well as delivery preferences. While following participatory research processes, we used reflexive thematic analysis to identify an overarching theme: flying together through shared understanding and shared struggles. This maps onto participants’ desire for reciprocal connections that enable understanding and safe unmasking, and their preference for in-person programs adapted to a range of support needs with meaningful participation in decision-making. Autistic Burnout and social connection were most participants’ preferred areas to be addressed. Especially when co-produced or peer-led, autistic peer support programs can contribute to providing a sense of collective movement with preserved self-determination for participants.
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BibTeX
@misc{zarei2026life,
title = {{‘It is my life don’t take that choice from me’: Autistic young adults’ experiences, preferences and needs regarding autistic peer support}},
author = {Tohid Zarei and Caelan Farr and Maxx Fischer and Summer Marchiori and KJ Hepworth and Caroline Ellison and Tobias Loetscher},
howpublished = {PsyArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/j6xz3_v2},
url = {https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/j6xz3_v2/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - ‘It is my life don’t take that choice from me’: Autistic young adults’ experiences, preferences and needs regarding autistic peer support
AU - Tohid Zarei
AU - Caelan Farr
AU - Maxx Fischer
AU - Summer Marchiori
AU - KJ Hepworth
AU - Caroline Ellison
AU - Tobias Loetscher
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/11
PB - PsyArXiv
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/j6xz3_v2
UR - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/j6xz3_v2/
AB - Autistic peer support, as a two-way system of help, is uniquely positioned to address high rates of loneliness and mental health challenges among autistic young adults. We aimed to inform the development of autistic peer support programs aligned with participants’ preferences and needs through a mixed methods online survey study. A total of 73 autistic young adults (aged 18-30; 34 women, 19 non-binary, 11 men, 7 transgender men, 1 transgender woman, 1 undisclosed) completed a survey covering peer interactions, peer support preferences and needs, as well as delivery preferences. While following participatory research processes, we used reflexive thematic analysis to identify an overarching theme: flying together through shared understanding and shared struggles. This maps onto participants’ desire for reciprocal connections that enable understanding and safe unmasking, and their preference for in-person programs adapted to a range of support needs with meaningful participation in decision-making. Autistic Burnout and social connection were most participants’ preferred areas to be addressed. Especially when co-produced or peer-led, autistic peer support programs can contribute to providing a sense of collective movement with preserved self-determination for participants.
ER -