Abstract
The way in which autism is defined and understood has continued to evolve over
recent decades, with the neurodiversity movement contributing to a shift in how
autism is viewed and understood more broadly. This thesis aimed to explore how this
shift has impacted how autism research and diagnostic assessments are conducted.
Part A of this portfolio presents a systematic review exploring the use of identity-first
and person-first language used within research reviews. The findings of this paper
suggested that though there is a growing use of identity-first language in systematic
reviews, there is no clear consensus in approach to identifying language within the
research community. Part B of this thesis presents an empirical paper which explored
the experiences of autistic young people through the autism assessment process and
of receiving their diagnosis. The findings found that autistic young people
experienced a lot of uncertainty when navigating the assessment process and for
many young people, receiving a diagnosis provided clarity and enabled them to
develop a new understanding of themselves and the world around them. Part C of
this thesis summarises my clinical experience and the academic assessments
completed during clinical training.