Listening beyond words: The absence of non-speaking autistic input in counselling psychology research and practice

Abstract

While an increasingly researched field, most autism research has focused on children and adolescents. Adult-based research remains sparse by comparison, particularly research focussing on those who are nonverbal, or who require alternative communication strategies. The following literature review was conducted while concurrently engaging with the members of autistic community in order to establish research gaps and to include their input in practice. Using search terms including (but not limited to autis*, nonverbal, non-speaking, autis* AND adult*) a number of databases and journals were explored in search of research which included and stemmed from direct autistic input. The literature revealed a gap in research focussing on autistic wellbeing and including the voices of those who are non-speaking, or who use alternative communication strategies. Prompted by this literature review and discussions with a number of autistic adults, a constructivist grounded theory study was proposed by the author and, following ethics approval by Regents University London, has begun data collection. The study aims to explore the experiences of non-speaking autistic adults and how these can guide psychotherapeutic practice. It is hoped that this research will contribute to counselling psychology and wider practice through the conceptualisation of a sensitised model of understanding and working psychotherapeutically with this population group.