What Brings Autistic People Joy? New research showcases the diversity in autistic flourishing.

[VictorR]

KEY POINTS

Autistic people report experiencing intense joy in ways connected to autistic traits.

Passionate interests, deep focus and learning, and sensory experiences can bring profound joy.

The biggest barriers to autistic joy are mistreatment by other people and societal biases, not autism itself.

Key Findings? Yes, Autistic People Experience Joy. Autistically.

67% of participants said they often experience joy.

94% agreed that they “actively enjoy aspects of being autistic.”

80% believed they experience joy differently than non-autistic people.

This study challenges the pathology model's view of autism as purely a disorder or deficit. Instead, it supports what many autistic people have been saying for a long time: Autism can be a source of genuine strength and joy.

This study strengthens the neuroaffirming perspective on autism and challenges dehumanizing stereotypes. Autistic people are complete human beings with an extremely broad range of emotions, including intense, profound joy—along with deep pain of being excluded, ridiculed, and bullied. When we are accepted, when our environments reflect consideration of sensory needs and honor neurodignity, we don't just survive, we truly flourish.

Article (summary):
What Brings Autistic People Joy?

Article (original):
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2025.2498417

 

[velociraptor]

I find accomplishment brings me joy. I also get joy from time with people who are close to me and time spent in nature doing fun activities.

 

[Rodafina]

I get so much joy out of my own little worlds that I get lost in. I find my own mind endlessly entertaining.

I also get joy from exploring my curiosity and looking at the world with wonder.

 

[RemyZee]

I would definitely say I experience intense joy around interests and hobbies, and I do think we experience it more deeply than neurotypicals, who can think it's strange to be so joyous. ..I will find myself joyous over creative things: over a cartoon I've just read, so I'll have to read it again and again because it makes me so happy; or joyous about some bit of a you tube that strikes me; or I'll find myself reading the same poem so many times I can't unread it....and every time I go back to it it will make me joyous again. I find repetition an expression of joy and build it into my day to put songs on repeat or to read and reread some piece of writing that I love, or to create things repetitively. Sadly as people point out the neurotypical world regards our joy as strange or destructive. I remember once I was waiting at a stop light and a young man, around 14, was standing on the street corner playing drums on the streetlamp, laughing like all get out to some imaginary song, IBut his mother ran over and yanked him away, even though he was getting to have so much joy and wasn't hurting anyone. I don't see neurotypical people having the kind of joy we get to have, and I consider myself lucky, because of it, because even though I have struggled A-LOT, even during the worst times I've had joyous experiences that came from my passions and persuasions that got me to the other side.

 

[Shamar]

Article (summary):
What Brings Autistic People Joy?

Article (original):
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2025.2498417

Joy. What a concept!

 

[Alexej]

Article (summary):
What Brings Autistic People Joy?

Article (original):
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2025.2498417

Thank you so much for the link.

I will read it - but my stance will be that of reading the paper as an alexithymic person.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Nothing gives me more fun than solving a real life puzzle, more complex more satisfying. Boy do I like watching a video on the latest findings in physics,

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I would definitely say I experience intense joy around interests and hobbies, and I do think we experience it more deeply than neurotypicals, who can think it's strange to be so joyous. ..I will find myself joyous over creative things: over a cartoon I've just read, so I'll have to read it again and again because it makes me so happy; or joyous about some bit of a you tube that strikes me; or I'll find myself reading the same poem so many times I can't unread it....and every time I go back to it it will make me joyous again. I find repetition an expression of joy and build it into my day to put songs on repeat or to read and reread some piece of writing that I love, or to create things repetitively. Sadly as people point out the neurotypical world regards our joy as strange or destructive. I remember once I was waiting at a stop light and a young man, around 14, was standing on the street corner playing drums on the streetlamp, laughing like all get out to some imaginary song, IBut his mother ran over and yanked him away, even though he was getting to have so much joy and wasn't hurting anyone. I don't see neurotypical people having the kind of joy we get to have, and I consider myself lucky, because of it, because even though I have struggled A-LOT, even during the worst times I've had joyous experiences that came from my passions and persuasions that got me to the other side.

This shows how different we can be from each other I never watch a movie more than once or read a book twice.