I aim to explore whether key autism diagnostic criteria, often seen as deficit traits or behaviours, are actually effective strategies for reducing anxiety in autistic individuals. For instance, “persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction,” “restricted, repetitive patterns” and “insistence on sameness” may be necessary strategies in reducing levels of novel or challenging stimuli to be processed and so reduce anxiety.

This will be an exploratory sequential study within a participatory framework. The research methodology will be underpinned by the social theory of disability which considers that autistic disability results from societal barriers rather than from autistic neurology.