Truth and the Role of Narrative in Autism Research

I thoroughly enjoyed talking to students on UCL's interdisciplinary arts and science (BASc) course today about how narrative can be used as a tool in autism science to conduct research that is rooted in the real exigencies of autistic people's lives.

The BASc course integrates sciences and humanities, teaching students to work in an interdisciplinary way from the get-go. They're encouraged to use cross-disciplinary methods to start thinking about how to solve real world problems. I spoke to them about the transdisciplinary benefits of using stories to develop research that reflects autistic people's needs in real life.

Narrative methods can work as a sense check to ensure that research reflects actual experiences and needs. They also play a role in humanising an often marginalised group and can provide a "way in" to find answers to complex problems in real world settings with stakeholders.