Examination of Race and Autism Intersectionality Among African American/Black Young Adults

Background: African American/Black (AA/B) young adults with diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders rarely are studied in a way that acknowledges both their racial identity and their autism diagnosis. Little is known about intersectional oppression in the lives of these young adults. Early adulthood is a time when a young people of color may come to terms with a society that may not treat them fairly and equally due to their race. Autistic AA/B young adults may be even more vulnerable to stress and psychological disempowerment due to the added impact of negative experiences of being Black and having an autism diagnosis. Methods: Thirty-two autistic and 30 non-autistic AA/B young adults took part in an online survey examining risk factors of everyday discrimination, perceived stress and potential protective factors of psychological empowerment, and Black identity. Differences in score measures for the autistic and non-autistic samples were examined along with the predictors of perceived stress assessed. Frequencies of intersectional discrimination experiences were also examined. Results: Autistic AA/B participants reported significantly less everyday discriminatory experiences than non-autistic AA/B participants, whereas perceived stress was not significantly different between the two groups. The majority of non-autistic AA/B participants endorsed race as their prime source of experiences of discrimination, whereas autistic AA/B participants also cited being autistic as a major contributor to reports of discrimination. Although the autistic group had significantly lower reports of self-determination, they reported higher on the Black identity, private regard scale, pertaining to feelings about group membership, which can be considered a protective factor. There is heterogeneity in reasons for discriminatory experiences for autistic AA/B young adults whereby some of the participants (12%-30%) endorsed race + disability as dual reasons for experiencing regular discrimination. Conclusions: Mental health clinicians and other direct service providers working with autistic AA/B young adults should understand that intersecting identities of race and disability may be at play when they are working with these individuals, and that treatment should consider these factors. The experiences of autistic African American/Black adults need more attention. There is not much research looking at intersecting identities of race and disability. The purpose of this study was to examine race + disability intersectionality in discrimination experiences and to examine how risk factors and protective factors vary between autistic and non-autistic African American/Black young adults. The researchers conducted an online study comparing the experiences of autistic and non-autistic young adults who identified as African American/Black. Thirty-two autistic and 30 non-autistic African American/Black young adults took part in the study looking at experiences of discrimination, stress, Black identity, and self-determination. Autistic African American/Black participants reported fewer everyday discriminatory experiences than non-autistic African American/Black participants, but perceived stress was not different between the two groups. Most of the non-autistic African American/Black participants listed race as their prime source of discrimination experiences, whereas autistic African American/Black participants also cited being autistic as a major contributor to reports of discrimination. Reasons for discriminatory experiences for autistic African American/Black young adults are varied, with up to 30% relating to experiences of discrimination being dual issues of race and disability. There is a lot of research on the experiences of African African/Black people facing social adversities due to race. This study adds to what is known by shedding light on discrimination experiences of autistic African American/Black young adults. The findings show the need for both societal change and trauma-informed practices with autistic individuals who are negatively impacted by a society that views them through a racialized lens. This study is not reflective of all autistic African American/Black people. Individuals who took part in the study may have self-selected due to interest in the topic. In addition, gender was not taken into account for this study. Knowing more about autistic African American/Black young adults' experiences can help inform advocacy to reduce discrimination and interventions to promote resiliency. The results of this study also highlight the importance of studying intersectionality in disability research. More research is needed about the experiences of autistic African American/Black young adults.