The Autistic Immigrant in the UK: an exploration of identities in the context of diagnosis

The UK is a multicultural country whose economic stability attracts immigrants from across the globe. Adoption of multiculturalism as a political ethos and the introduction of equal rights promotion among ethnic minority groups has led to the large numbers of immigration this century with an estimated 268,000 people immigrating to the UK in 2020 alone.

The last decade has also seen a significant increase in adult autism diagnosis in the UK with the numbers of females and cognitively able people who receive a diagnosis increasing. There are no studies that identify immigrants among those adults who receive a diagnosis or examine their experiences of diagnosis which may be complicated by relocation to a culturally different place and by social biases. Ethnicity, theorised as a social identity, is routinely discriminated against in the healthcare system. Autism is theorised as an identity too. This project will establish whether the intersection between these two attributes are greater than the sum of the parts in predicting outcomes, thus using methodological innovation to measure, study and monitor theory of intersectionality.

Research Questions
1. Is there an interaction between the impact of immigration and of being autistic for ethnic minorities?
2. How is a diagnostic experience influenced by sociocultural norms, disability and racial bias?
3. What insights does a focus on cross-cultural adaptation bring to our understanding of autism in the context of immigration?

The research questions necessitate a joint anthropological and sociological approach. Using a mixed method approach the study will examine the views and experiences of officially diagnosed autistic adults who have ethnic minority status, and the qualitative work will follow those immigrated to the UK. Such an approach is both novel and ambitious in the study of intersectionality.

The research questions necessitate a joint anthropological and sociological approach. Using a mixed method approach the study will examine the views and experiences of officially diagnosed autistic adults who have ethnic minority status, and the qualitative work will follow those immigrated to the UK. Such an approach is both novel and ambitious in the study of intersectionality.

The gap in relevant literature highlights the novel and emergent aspects of this proposed research. It is necessary to generate discussion around the effects of immigration on autistic identity as well as the interplay of biological, cultural, social and psychological factors.

Moreover, the research aims to contribute to advances in the diagnostic process, identifying the aspects that are working well and those where improvement is needed. It will also provide health-care staff with knowledge concerning minority groups' experiences of being diagnosed. In the context of a multicultural society there has to be commitment to not only recognise the diversity but also to respond to it.

The research intends to contribute to the body of knowledge within ethnic and disability studies whilst opening up a new pathway to autism specific research along with moving intersectionality theory and research methods forwards.