# An integrative approach between neurodiversity perspectives and quality of life models for autistic people across the spectrum of support needs

## TL;DR

This paper explores how to combine neurodiversity and quality of life approaches to better support autistic people with diverse needs.

## Contribution

It introduces six integrative principles to guide support, research, and policy for autistic individuals.

## Key findings

- Well-being depends on self-acceptance and quality supports.
- Language should balance function and individual preference.
- Autistic participation in research is essential for inclusive outcomes.

## Abstract

Autism is increasingly understood not through deficit-based frameworks but through approaches that emphasize rights, inclusion, and well-being for autistic people across the spectrum of support needs, including non-speaking individuals, those with intellectual disability, and those experiencing mental health challenges. Two perspectives have been central to this shift: Quality of Life (QoL) models, rooted in applied disability research, and the neurodiversity paradigm, arising from autistic self-advocacy and social justice movements.

This mini review examines the convergences and tensions between these perspectives, generating a set of integrative principles to guide support providers, researchers, and policymakers. Evidence is synthesized across three thematic perspectives: socio-political and paradigmatic debates, particularly language, identity, and representation; applied and clinical practice, including the aims, role, and risks of supports and interventions; and research, with attention to participatory approaches, lived-experience priorities, and the representation of autistic people with extensive support needs.

Six principles emerge: (i) well-being depends on both self-acceptance and the quality of supports; (ii) language should balance contextual function with individual preference; (iii) identity has transformative value, requiring diagnostic practices that are inclusive, participatory, and non-deficit oriented; (iv) supports are essential mechanisms for participation, not threats to identity; (v) interventions should promote autonomy, belonging, and growth without enforcing normalization; and (vi) research must ensure autistic participation across all stages, with accessible processes and priorities aligned with autistic preferences. Together, these principles offer a framework for integrating QoL and neurodiversity approaches in ways that advance rights, inclusion, and well-being.