Diagnosis and distinction Understanding autistic identity construction in university students and graduates through the tactics of intersubjectivity

Vincent, Jonathan (2025) Diagnosis and distinction Understanding autistic identity construction in university students and graduates through the tactics of intersubjectivity. Disability and Society. ISSN 0968-7599 (In Press)

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Abstract

This study uncovers the ongoing role of diagnosis in identity construction for autistic students and graduates from across the United Kingdom. It foregrounds the intersubjective and iterative ways in which this group view themselves as they reflect on their diagnostic journeys. In total fifteen participants took part in semi-structured interviews. By deploying the tactics of adequation and distinction; authentication and denaturalization; authorization and illegitimation, new insights emerge into how identities are constructed within particular socio-political contexts following an autism diagnosis. Findings indicate a strong sense of distinction, where participants are marked as ‘other’ in relation to neurotypical peers or family members. The response is to internalize such stigmatizing attitudes and mask neurocognitive differences, ultimately undermining an authentic identity. Analyses offer important insights into the intersubjective nature of diagnosis, the significant and ongoing role that it plays for autistic students, and the necessity for neuro-affirming spaces in higher education.