How much of my true self can i show? social adaptation in autistic women: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Social adaptation is often aimed at supporting autistic people, yet its specific goals may not include their actual perspectives. That is, the state of adaptation is judged based on the standards and values of non-autistic people. This qualitative study focused on autistic women’s perceptions of social adaptation and examined their lived experiences in daily life, as adaptive behaviors have often been reported as a “female autism phenotype.” METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face with ten autistic women aged 28–50 years (M = 36.7; standard SD = 7.66). The analysis was conducted based on the grounded theory approach. RESULTS: Two core perceptions were identified: maintaining stable relationships and fulfilling social roles based on past experiences of “maladaptation.” The participants sought adaptations within a reasonable range and adjusted their balance with society to maintain stability in their daily lives. CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that autistic women’s perceptions of adaptation were based on the accumulation of past negative experiences. Further harmful efforts should be prevented. Support for autistic people to make their own choices in life is also important. Moreover, autistic women need a place where they can be themselves and be accepted as they are. This study showed the importance of changing the environment rather than modifying autistic people to adapt to a society. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40359-023-01192-5.