‘Why should I be like bloody R ain M an?!’ Navigating the autistic identity

This article explores the views of six higher education students with autism/ A sperger syndrome. The research draws upon social identity theory to explore how participants made meaning of their label. There was consensus that information given at the point of diagnosis generally did not reflect their individual experiences. First‐hand accounts tended to be perceived as more personally relevant. The ‘Asperger’ identity was generally framed as fragile and inconsistent, leading some individuals to distance themselves from it. This may be problematic for a group that is already disadvantaged and isolated. However, participants conveyed strong self‐images regardless of how and whether they identified with their diagnosis, which was attributed to their relative privilege in achieving higher education and therefore experiencing success and achievement related to their personal strengths. In this article, A ndrea M ac L eod, A nn L ewis and C hristopher R obertson, from the U niversity of B irmingham, call for researchers and relevant services to involve autistic individuals directly in fostering a constructive ‘autism identity’.