{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,24]],"date-time":"2026-07-24T09:03:42Z","timestamp":1784883822393,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,18]],"date-time":"2024-06-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1718668800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Autism in Adulthood"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Separately, autistic and LGBTQIA+ people report experiencing negative social participation outcomes. Specifically, autistic individuals report fewer friendships but a desire for them. LGBTQIA+ individuals report experiences of family rejection, microaggressions from friends, and discrimination. Based on intersectionality theory, we hypothesize that individuals who are both autistic and LGBTQIA+ may have additional challenges with social participation and require unique support. Therefore, in this study, we aim to describe the experiences of social participation and the supports and barriers for autistic LGBTQIA+ adults.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This analysis utilized data from a mixed-method, participatory research study, including qualitative data from 57 LGBTQIA+ autistic adults and quantitative survey data from 107 LGBTQIA+ autistic adults. Qualitative data were collected through virtual semi-structured interviews or focus groups and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Analysts used an audit trail and negative case analysis and checked for representativeness of the data across participants to ensure trustworthiness of data. A survey was developed using the findings from the qualitative data and built in Qualtrics for dissemination. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and merged with qualitative data.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Participants discussed relationships with family, friends, and intimate partners\u2014however, primarily focused on friendships. Participants described how they \u201cfound their people\u201d serendipitously, through shared interests or hobbies, or intentionally online. A subset of participants reported challenges \u201cfinding their people,\u201d with specific barriers being challenges online and inaccessibility within LGBTQIA+ spaces and events. Participants reported strategies to safely move relationships from online to in-person, such as identifying safe, accessible social activities of shared interest with their friend or intimate partner(s).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Autistic LGBTQIA+ adults validate the importance in \u201cfinding their people,\u201d yet not all autistic LGBTQIA+ adults have successfully developed these relationships. Identified supports and barriers indicate a need for more support to help LGBTQIA+ autistic individuals connect in person, including moving online relationships safely to in-person activities. In addition, these results suggest the need for increasing accessibility of LGBTQIA+ events, such as additional structured activities within the LGBTQIA+ communities and sensory-friendly Pride event options.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1089\/aut.2023.0149","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,18]],"date-time":"2024-06-18T11:22:54Z","timestamp":1718709774000},"page":"712-723","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Contextual Factors Contributing to Social Participation for LGBTQIA+ Autistic Adults in the United States"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"7","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3226-517X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elizabeth K.","family":"Schmidt","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Occupational Therapy, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Farah","family":"Rexha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mason","family":"Williams","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LGBTQIA+ Autistic Research Collective (LAUREL)."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jess","family":"Bauza de Garcia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LGBTQIA+ Autistic Research Collective (LAUREL)."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maya","family":"Sicherer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rachel","family":"Hickman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LGBTQIA+ Autistic Research Collective (LAUREL)."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_4_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/jir.12289"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10803-015-2403-z"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rasd.2013.12.002"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/1550428X.2020.1724133"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_6_2","volume-title":"Families We Choose: Lesbian, Gays, Kinship","author":"Weston K","year":"1997","unstructured":"Weston K. 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