Addressing Underserved Populations in Autism Spectrum Research
When confronted with the large amount of research about the autism spectrum one can be forgiven for believing that every conceivable aspect has been studied. However, despite the abundance of research, there still remains several autism topics that are not yet comprehensively understood. Addressing Underserved Populations in Autism Spectrum Research: An Intersectional Approach highlights five areas of autism spectrum research that currently lack a substantial body of literature. These include, autistic seniors, autistic women, fathers raising autistic children, autistics with intellectual disabilities, and autistics from ethnic minorities. Bennett and Goodall explore each area, offering explanations for why they have been overlooked in the existing literature and recommendations and strategies for further research to help us better understand these parts of the autistic community. They also explore and address systemic racism within the autism research community and explain strategies that scholars can use to conduct research that is both respectful of autistics and methodologically rigorous.
Readers will gain an understanding of some of the gaps in our knowledge about the autism spectrum and will obtain the tools needed to conduct robust and appropriate research that addresses these gaps.
Matthew Bennett holds a PhD in Disability Studies from Flinders University, Australia. He has lectured in Disability Studies at Griffith University, Queensland. He has also advised the Australian Government’s AutismCRC and has published articles for the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. He is actively involved in supporting autistics to achieve their potential in society by disseminating his knowledge about the autism spectrum via lectures, conference presentations, and publications.
Emma Goodall is an adjunct research fellow at the University of Southern Queensland, holds a PhD in Education, focused on teaching students on the autism spectrum. She is an executive member of the Australian Society for Autism Research, independent researcher through Healthy Possibilities, a published author and keynote speaker in the areas of autism, sexuality and relationships, education, and interoception.