Double Missions of Belonging and Blending In: Autistic Students' Voices with Transcultural Backgrounds

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Sunday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Toward a Transnational Educational Research Agenda

Abstract

This study explores how autistic students with Chinese cultural backgrounds in Canadian universities navigate social camouflaging and cultural belonging. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis, the research highlights how language, stigma, and digital tools, especially English and AI technologies, influence participants’ strategies for masking or expressing autistic traits. The findings suggest that camouflaging is not merely a behavioral adjustment but a culturally mediated process shaped by sociolinguistic dynamics and transnational experiences. By centering the voices of autistic individuals with transcultural identities, this study contributes to a culturally responsive understanding of adaptation, agency, and emotional labor among neurodivergent student populations in higher education.

Author

• Guangqian Grace Lyu, Simon Fraser University