‘If I don't do it, I'm out of rhythm and I can't focus as well’: positive and negative interpretations of adults who received interventions targeted at ‘fixing’ them for restricted and repetitive behaviours in their childhood

Restricted and repetitive behaviours (RRBs) often present in children diagnosed with autism, attract corrective interventions. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) this study seeks both positive and negative interpretations from four young adults who received corrective intervention for RRBs in their childhood, particularly interventions targeted at ‘fixing’ them. Two superordinate themes 1) The Pointing Finger, and 2) Embracing Authenticity, overarched subordinate themes. These themes highlight juxtaposed positions from exclusion, rejection, criticism, and self-doubt in childhood to making sense of societal censure as a means of psychological growth in adult life. As such, participants recognised themselves as neurologically different from other people, which they promoted through a lens of neurodiversity, and therefore not needing to be fixed.