Measuring Autistic Writing Skills: Combining Perspectives from Neurodiversity Advocates, Autism Researchers, and Writing Theories

Abstract

Autism and writing are commonly discussed independently as complex, multifaceted entities. However, studies examining their intersections are limited and often oversimplify the nuances innate to both topics. This paper focuses on the complexities involved in studying autistic individuals’ foundational writing skills (i.e., transcription and text generation skills) by drawing on theories of writing and autism grounded in perspectives from the neurodiversity movement. We frame our discussion around the complex sociocultural and cognitive factors important to writing by drawing on the Writer(s)-within-Community model. Our discussion highlights findings and trends among observational and intervention research studies as well as offers suggestions for future research guided by the ongoing reconceptualization and understanding of autistic development. In doing so, we argue that future research must look beyond written products as the only measure of writing development and beyond a diagnosis of autism as the indicator of atypical written language development.

Neurodiversity as Politics

“…Many autistic ac-tivists have framed neurodiversity as an explicitly political position in both communications to the broader community and the academic literature, referring to neurodiversity as "acceptance for neurological differences and disabilities" (Durbin-Westby, 2012) or explicitly framing it as an "alternative perspective… in contrast to the deficit model" (Robertson, 2010) rather than a simple biological reality. This tension is present even within this issue -for example, contrast Zajic and Brown's (2022) reference to "neurodiversity proponents" and "neurodiversity advocates" (consistent with the use of the term to describe an ideology) with Radulski's (2022) reference to neurodiversity as a "field" (consistent with the descriptive tradition of the term). In contrast to Walker, we believe that the use of the word neurodiversity, without further qualifiers, has a long history of being used in autistic activist communities to describe biology and ideology, with some believing the term refers only to one of these options and others applying it to both.…”

“…In documenting the #TakeTheMaskOff social media campaign, Radulski (2022) highlights the tremendous day-to-day stakes autistic people face as a minority living in a world that is often hostile to autistic ways of being, forcing onto autistic persons passing demands akin to those experienced by racial and ethnic minorities and other oppressed peoples. Zajic and Brown (2022) provide an interesting exploration of the implications of neurodiversity ideas on the teaching of writing, exploring what neurodiversity might mean for the teaching of writing and research on the development of autistic writing skills. Botha and Gillespie-Lynch (2022) explore the intersection of autism and other disability communities to which the ideas of neurodiversity have been applied with other forms of marginalized identity.…”

Examining gender effects in autistic written language skills: A small sample exploratory study

“…Further investigation of the unique linguistic, executive function, emotional, and other processes that drive individual variability in autistic individuals’ written language is also essential ( Zajic & Brown, 2022 ). We contend that future studies of both writing products and writing processes should include exploration of gender-based differences.…”

“…We contend that future studies of both writing products and writing processes should include exploration of gender-based differences. Future research efforts should also seek and prioritize autistic researchers’ and writers’ perspectives on aspects of written language that are meaningful to explore ( Pickard et al, 2022 ; Zajic & Brown, 2022 ).…”

“…Recent models endorse the shared dimensionality of oral and written language, indicating that speaking and writing depend in part on common linguistic and cognitive mechanisms and knowledge for both typically developing children and children with language-based disabilities ( Kim & Graham, 2022 ; Nelson et al, 2022 ). This shared dimensionality also likely characterizes the speaking and writing skills of autistic children ( Zajic & Brown, 2022 ). Given the centrality of written language production in developmental, school, and career contexts, as well as the close relationship between oral and written language, a comprehensive conceptualization of possible gender differences in communication skills in autism should include not just oral communication skills, but also written communication skills.…”