Coping Strategies of Adults with High-Functioning Autism: A Qualitative Analysis

The objective of this research is to study, via a qualitative and exploratory approach, the coping strategies used by adults with autism and with no intellectual impairment. Semi-directive interviews were carried out with 31 adults diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome or high-functioning autism (HFA). The data were analysed using an open coding system. Eight coping strategies were identified: special interests, militancy, diagnosis, seeking support from atypical friends, seeking support from animals, normalisation, intellectualisation, and humour. The practical and theoretical implications of the results are discussed in relation to the existing literature on this subject. A new approach is proposed in which special interests are seen as a resource and not as a symptom.