A new Roundtable Discussion in the peer-reviewed journal Autism in Adulthood examines the potential integration and mutual benefits of positive psychology and autism and its impact on the autism community. Click here to read the Roundtable.

The Roundtable was co-moderated by Patricia Wright, PhD, MPH, Executive Director of Proof Positive: Autism Wellbeing Alliance, and Rachel Moseley, PhD, from Bournemouth University. Expert panelists included Dan Tomasulo, PhD, from Teachers College, Columbia University; Hari Srinivasan, a PhD neuroscience student at Vanderbilt University; Jodie Wilson, BVSc, MAPP, from Latrobe University; Sara Woods, PhD, University of Washington; and Tayyab Rashid, PhD, a licensed clinical and school psychologist in Toronto.

“Positive psychology seeks to explore what brings meaning and fulfilment to life. In addition to reducing suffering, it focuses on developing tools to increase positive emotions, such as fostering meaningful relationships, discovering how to engage with life, and achieving a sense of purpose. Positive psychology can offer significant benefits to the autism community by recognizing and leveraging individual strengths. By appreciating these strengths, it can positively influence interpersonal interactions, communication dynamics, and an individual’s overall response framework.”

Rather than only addressing weaknesses, positive psychology focuses on enhancing and amplifying strengths by providing tools, techniques, and processes to leverage those strengths.