Participatory methods: researching autistic sexuality, intimacy, and authenticity

There is increasing interest in participatory methods within autism research, and a corresponding pressure to incorporate participation and collaboration with autistic people throughout research processes. However, details as to how to proceed remain under-reported. There is a paucity of literature laying out detailed, step-by-step attempts to integrate participatory methods into research projects. This lacuna constitutes an additional barrier to participatory methodologies, which, despite considerable interest on the part of researchers in the field of autism, may already be perceived as time-consuming and complex. This chapter, therefore, reports in detail on the participatory processes utilized during the author’s doctoral research exploring autistic accounts of sexuality, intimacy, and authenticity, concentrating on methodological and practical issues related to the participation of, and collaboration with, autistic people and communities during the research process.