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Expert organisations with "challenging" and "complex" service users: Representation in English and Welsh autism charity reports and accounts

Helen Abnett Orcid Logo, Kathryn Williams Orcid Logo, Willow Holloway, Aimee Grant Orcid Logo

PLOS One, Volume: 20, Issue: 10, Start page: e0335132

Swansea University Author: Aimee Grant Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1371/journal.pone.0335132

Abstract

The language and imagery used in Autism charities' communications influences societal understanding of, and attitudes towards, Autistic people. This, in turn, shapes perceptions of whether and how the disabling barriers in society experienced by Autistic people can and should be addressed. Yet,...

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Published in: PLOS One
ISSN: 1932-6203
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70823
first_indexed 2025-11-03T14:26:12Z
last_indexed 2025-11-12T08:16:48Z
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spelling 2025-11-11T09:36:34.0667589 v2 70823 2025-11-03 Expert organisations with "challenging" and "complex" service users: Representation in English and Welsh autism charity reports and accounts 6a1ce3bc54c692c804e858b70d2e4bd2 0000-0001-7205-5869 Aimee Grant Aimee Grant true false 2025-11-03 HSOC The language and imagery used in Autism charities' communications influences societal understanding of, and attitudes towards, Autistic people. This, in turn, shapes perceptions of whether and how the disabling barriers in society experienced by Autistic people can and should be addressed. Yet, to date, there has been minimal exploration of this discourse employed by Autism charities. We, an Autistic-majority team of researchers, used critical reflexive thematic analysis to examine the language and imagery used in the Trustees' Annual Reports and Accounts of 11 large English and Welsh Autism charities. Representation within these reports emphasises adversities associated with Autism, and the language chosen to portray Autistic people largely describes Autism as an impairment. In contrast, charities represent themselves as the solution to the 'problem' of Autistic people, and thus deserving of increased resources and funding. Government is largely depicted as ineffective and deficient. We argue that these Autism charities are thereby upholding - rather than challenging - the disabling barriers in society experienced by Autistic people. For Autistic charities to better represent Autistic people and improve wider societal understanding of Autism, there is a need for more positive portrayals that challenge the 'charity saviour' trope in charity communications. Journal Article PLOS One 20 10 e0335132 Public Library of Science (PLoS) 1932-6203 24 10 2025 2025-10-24 10.1371/journal.pone.0335132 COLLEGE NANME Health and Social Care School COLLEGE CODE HSOC Swansea University SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal) Swansea University 2025-11-11T09:36:34.0667589 2025-11-03T14:16:39.9727582 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences School of Health and Social Care - Public Health Helen Abnett 0000-0003-4299-080X 1 Kathryn Williams 0000-0001-7274-3493 2 Willow Holloway 3 Aimee Grant 0000-0001-7205-5869 4 70823__35543__b5cae1c0a2cf48358d4033ad0a0db982.pdf 70823.VOR.pdf 2025-11-03T14:24:56.1358191 Output 697120 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2025 Abnett et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Expert organisations with "challenging" and "complex" service users: Representation in English and Welsh autism charity reports and accounts
spellingShingle Expert organisations with "challenging" and "complex" service users: Representation in English and Welsh autism charity reports and accounts
Aimee Grant
title_short Expert organisations with "challenging" and "complex" service users: Representation in English and Welsh autism charity reports and accounts
title_full Expert organisations with "challenging" and "complex" service users: Representation in English and Welsh autism charity reports and accounts
title_fullStr Expert organisations with "challenging" and "complex" service users: Representation in English and Welsh autism charity reports and accounts
title_full_unstemmed Expert organisations with "challenging" and "complex" service users: Representation in English and Welsh autism charity reports and accounts
title_sort Expert organisations with "challenging" and "complex" service users: Representation in English and Welsh autism charity reports and accounts
author_id_str_mv 6a1ce3bc54c692c804e858b70d2e4bd2
author_id_fullname_str_mv 6a1ce3bc54c692c804e858b70d2e4bd2_***_Aimee Grant
author Aimee Grant
author2 Helen Abnett
Kathryn Williams
Willow Holloway
Aimee Grant
format Journal article
container_title PLOS One
container_volume 20
container_issue 10
container_start_page e0335132
publishDate 2025
institution Swansea University
issn 1932-6203
doi_str_mv 10.1371/journal.pone.0335132
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
college_str Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
department_str School of Health and Social Care - Public Health{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Health and Social Care - Public Health
document_store_str 1
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description The language and imagery used in Autism charities' communications influences societal understanding of, and attitudes towards, Autistic people. This, in turn, shapes perceptions of whether and how the disabling barriers in society experienced by Autistic people can and should be addressed. Yet, to date, there has been minimal exploration of this discourse employed by Autism charities. We, an Autistic-majority team of researchers, used critical reflexive thematic analysis to examine the language and imagery used in the Trustees' Annual Reports and Accounts of 11 large English and Welsh Autism charities. Representation within these reports emphasises adversities associated with Autism, and the language chosen to portray Autistic people largely describes Autism as an impairment. In contrast, charities represent themselves as the solution to the 'problem' of Autistic people, and thus deserving of increased resources and funding. Government is largely depicted as ineffective and deficient. We argue that these Autism charities are thereby upholding - rather than challenging - the disabling barriers in society experienced by Autistic people. For Autistic charities to better represent Autistic people and improve wider societal understanding of Autism, there is a need for more positive portrayals that challenge the 'charity saviour' trope in charity communications.
published_date 2025-10-24T12:45:51Z
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score 11.08895

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