Between Authenticity and Adaptation. The Identity of People on the Autism Spectrum From the Perspective of Accompanying Pedagogy
Abstract
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to analyze the identity formation process of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the context of contemporary adaptive pressures.
THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The research problem is formulated as a question: how does adaptive pressure present in culture and the education system influence the identity construction process of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? The article is theoretical and analytical in nature and is based on a critical, interpretive review of the scientific literature.
THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The article integrates empirical findings and theoretical concepts regarding normative pressure, masking, and identity development. The concept of adaptive pressure and its relationship to dominant standards of social functioning are reconstructed and masking is then analyzed as an adaptive strategy enabling functioning in an environment based on neuronormative expectations.
RESEARCH RESULTS: The literature analysis indicates that masking serves an adaptive function in relation to dominant social norms, enabling individuals with ASD to increase social functionality and reduce the direct experience of exclusion. At the same time, these strategies are associated with significant psychological costs, including an increased risk of depression, a sense of isolation, and a weakening of identity coherence.
CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND APPLICABLE VALUE OF RESEARCH: The conclusions indicate the need to broaden the perspective of autism research to include the cultural and institutional context that co-shapes the conditions for the development of subjectivity in neurodiverse individuals. A reinterpretation of inclusion as a process of accepting diverse styles of functioning, rather than merely supporting conformity to the majority norm, is proposed. The importance of the pedagogical category of accompaniment as a relational form of supporting the development of individuals with ASD is also emphasized.
References
Ali, D., Bougoure, M., Cooper, B., Quinton, A.M.G., Tan, D., Brett, J., Mandy, W., Maybery, M., Magiati, I. i Happé, F. (2025). Burnout as experienced by autistic people: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 122, 102669. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2025.102669
Buchholz, A. (2023). Maskowanie w autyzmie – analiza zjawiska. Szkoła Specjalna, 84(3), 183–193. https://doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0053.8978
Cassidy, S.A., Bradley, L., Shaw, R. i Baron-Cohen, S. (2018). Risk markers for suicidality in autistic adults. Molecular Autism, 9, 42. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-018-0226-4
Deci, E.L., Olafsen, A.H. i Ryan, R.M. (2017). Self-determination theory in work organizations: The state of a science. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 4, 19–43. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032516-113108
Deci, E.L. i Ryan, R.M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01
Dixon-Woods, M., Cavers, D., Agarwal, S., Annandale, E., Arthur, A., Harvey, J., Hsu, R., Katbamna, S., Olsen, R., Smith, L., Riley, R. i Sutton, A.J. (2006). Conducting a critical interpretive synthesis of the literature on access to healthcare by vulnerable groups. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 6, 35. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-6-35
Guzmán-Simón, F., Torres-Gordillo, J.J. i Caballero, K. (2020). Understanding assessment processes for communicative competence through an analysis of teachers’ reported practice. Education Sciences, 10(4), 116. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10040116
Hull, L., Mandy, W., Lai, M.-C., Baron-Cohen, S., Allison, C., Smith, P. i Petrides, K.V. (2019). Development and validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(3), 819–833. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3792-6
Hull, L., Petrides, K.V., Allison, C., Smith, P., Baron-Cohen, S., Lai, M.C. I Mandy, W. (2017). “Putting on my best normal”: Social camouflaging in adults with autism spectrum conditions. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 47(8), 2519–2534. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3166-5
Livingston, L.A., Colvert, E., the Social Relationships Study Team, T., Bolton, P., Happé, F. (2019). Good social skills despite poor theory of mind: Exploring compensation in autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 60(1), 102–110. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12886
McAdams, D.P. i McLean, K.C. (2013). Narrative identity. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 22(3), 233–238. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721413475622
Milton, D.E.M. (2012). On the ontological status of autism: the ‘double empathy problem’. Disability & Society, 27(6), 883–887. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2012.710008
Nieradka, F. (2022). Kamuflaż u osób z zaburzeniami ze spektrum autyzmu. Analiza zjawiska w świetle dotychczasowych badań. Człowiek – Niepełnosprawność – Społeczeństwo, 55(1), 67–81. https://doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0015.8513
Page, M.J., McKenzie, J.E., Bossuyt, P.M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T.C., Mulrow, C.D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J.M., Akl, E.A., Brennan, S.E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J.M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M.M., Li, T., Loder, E.W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., …, Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Pyszkowska, A., Nowacki, A. i Stefanek, F. (2025). The two-edged sword of playing a role in daily life: Social camouflaging among adults on the autism spectrum. A thematic analysis. Research in Autism, 124, 202597. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reia.2025.202597
Simmons, G.L., Corbett, B.A., Lerner, M.D., Wofford, K. i White, S. W. (2024). Social competence in autism: A structural equation modeling approach. Autism Research, 17(4), 761–774. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3108
Singer, J. (1999). Why can’t you be normal for once in your life? From a “problem with no name” to a new category of disability. In M. Corker i S. French (red.), Disability discourse (pp. 59–67). Open University Press.
Strzelecki, D. (2025). Social camouflaging and its association with depression, anxiety, and personal burnout among autistic and non-autistic women in Poland. Journal for Perspectives of Economic Political and Social Integration, 31(1), 265–295. https://doi.org/10.18290/pepsi-2025-0010
Tokaj, M. (2025). Osoba z zaburzeniami ze spektrum autyzmu w biegu życia – wyzwania, możliwości i wsparcie. Zeszyty Naukowe Pedagogiki Specjalnej, 18, 134–142. https://doi.org/10.24917/znps.2025.18.12
Walker, N. (2021). Neuroqueer heresies: Notes on the neurodiversity paradigm, autistic empowerment, and postnormal possibilities. Autonomous Press.
Copyright (c) 2026 HORIZONS OF EDUCATION
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain the copyright to their work while granting the journal the right of first publication. The work will be simultaneously licensed under a CC BY-ND license, which permits others to share the work with proper credit given to the author and the original publication in this journal.
- Authors may enter into additional, non-exclusive agreements for the distribution of the published version of the work (e.g., posting it in an institutional repository or publishing it in another journal), provided that the original publication in this journal is acknowledged.
We allow and encourage authors to share their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on personal websites) both before and during the submission process, as this can foster beneficial exchanges and lead to earlier and increased citations of the published work. (See The Effect of Open Access). We recommend using any of the following academic networking platforms:
