Subjective experiences of occupational participation in autistic adolescents in the US: A multiple-case study using experience sampling methodology

Very little is known about the subjective experiences of the occupations of autistic individuals and how these subjective experiences relate to their time use. The purpose of this paper is to explore self-reports of how autistic individuals living in the USA spend their time including subjective experiences and affective dimensions associated with their participation in occupations. We were guided by two aims: (1) to understand how autistic individuals report spending their time during the summer months, and (2) to understand to what degree affective experiences (e.g., bodily feelings and emotions) are reported during occupational participation. In this study, autistic adolescents aged 11-17 years (n = 17) completed an initial battery of assessments. Afterwards, they completed an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) of their subjective experiences and occupational participation. We used thematic cross-case analysis to explore their responses to the qualitative question about their current occupational participation. In-depth analysis revealed a multitude of relationships between subjective occupational experiences and the occupation itself. Four themes emerged in the data analysis: (1) autistic adolescents participate in a range of occupations, most commonly screen-time occupations; (2) autistic adolescents spend significant time in enjoyable occupations with others; (3) autistic adolescents report more positive affect than negative affect; and (4) autistic adolescents report high variability in their subjective experiences. This study suggests that employing EMA may offer valuable insights into understanding the diverse subjective experiences arising from occupational engagement, shedding light on how different aspects of occupation affect the lived experiences of both autistic and non-autistic individuals.

Duke Scholars

Author Antoine Bailliard Orthopaedic Surgery, Occupational Therapy