Between essence and diversity: challenges for phenomenological Autism research

Written from the perspective of phenomenological philosophy, this article evaluates recent claims that phenomenology has an important contribution to make in redressing the lack of insight into Autistic lived experience. As a philosophical discipline concerned with describing, understanding, and interpreting subjective and intersubjective experience, phenomenology is theoretically well-placed to foreground first-person Autistic perspectives in Autism research. In this article, however, we raise concerns that extant phenomenological Autism research often struggles to break free from conceptual commitments that risk objectifying Autistic being-in-the-world as deficient and dysfunctional. If it is to take seriously the challenges posed by the neurodiversity paradigm, we suggest that phenomenological Autism research must adopt a critical approach that engages the diversity of Autistic lived experience. Informed by this theoretical perspective, we give a number of recommendations for future phenomenologically informed qualitative research of Autistic lived experience that is empathic and inclusive of Autistic ways of being, whilst actively working against the alienation of Autistic people.