https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/positively-different/202506/what-brings-autistic-people-joy

What Brings Autistic People Joy?

New research showcases the diversity in autistic flourishing.

Updated June 22, 2025  Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

I remember being in the middle of a lake. Alone. Just me, water, the sky, and far-away trees. It was a bliss.

Being alone with nature can be an exquisite source of joy.

I remember dancing with joy. Alone. In the office. At 2 a.m. I had analyzed the results of an organizational climate study, and they were exactly as I predicted.

Knowledge can be a powerful source of joy.

And writing? The glorious work of finding just the right words and stringing them together to express just what I want to express and how I want to express it?

Oh, the tears of creative joy.

Autistic Joy, Misunderstood 

Too often, others assume that autistic lives are sad. Joyless. In need of “fixing.”

But autistic experience can be intensely, gloriously joyful—when we are not forced to fit into someone else’s procrustean expectations of what a good life is "supposed" to look like. Why can't there be many ways to live a good life? Authentically? Autistically? 

Now, we have more data to support a neuro-affirming take on living beautiful lives on our own terms. A new study has asked a question rarely explored in autism research: What brings autistic people genuine joy? The results challenge common misconceptions about autism and reveal that many autistic people not only experience joy regularly, but often find deep happiness because of rather than despite being autistic.

The Study: Listening to Autistic Voices

Elliot Wassell surveyed 86 autistic adults through an autism charity's online community. Rather than focusing on deficits or challenges, this study centered autistic people's own experiences of what makes them happy. The majority of participants were women and non-binary people, an often underrepresented group in autism research. While the sample has limitations, it nevertheless challenges us to recognize joy wherever it appears rather than overlooking it because of label-based expectations.

Key Findings? Yes, Autistic People Experience Joy. Autistically.

• 67% of participants said they often experience joy.
• 94% agreed that they “actively enjoy aspects of being autistic.”
• 80% believed they experience joy differently than non-autistic people.

The study identified four main themes about autistic joy:

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1. Autistic Senses and Ways of Thinking Are Sources of Joy. Many participants found happiness in experiences connected to how their autistic brains work:

• Complete absorption. Getting so immersed in activities that time disappears and the world fades away brings the joy of flow. About 95% of participants reported often getting immersed in enjoyable activities.
• Sensory pleasures. Enjoying colors, textures, movement, or synaesthetic experiences where senses blend together.
• Consistency/repetition. Finding deep satisfaction in doing beloved activities over and over, like "listening to and dancing to the same song on loop for hours."

One participant described playing piano: "I can get into the zone and time and even thoughts fade away... it feels wonderful."

2. Passionate Interests Are Central to Joy. About 93% of participants rated pursuing passionate interests as an important source of joy. These weren't just hobbies, but powerful sources of happiness and energy.

The study documented great diversity in what autistic people enjoy, but some common themes emerged:

• Learning and research (diving deep into topics of interest) Almost 90% of participants enjoyed learning new things, making it the most endorsed item.
• Nature and animals (being outdoors, watching wildlife, connecting with pets).
• Creative activities (art, writing, making things).
• Music (listening, playing, feeling it through the whole body).
• Routine and organizing (finding peace in structure and order).

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Demonstrating the limitations of stereotypical portrayals, not every autistic person enjoyed the same things. Some loved music, some didn't. Some enjoyed intense sensory experiences, but many preferred calm environments. Over 80% enjoyed their alone time, while close to 60% also reported finding joy in relationships. This range of experience shows that autistic joy is as individual and diverse as autistic people themselves.

3. The Right Environment Is Everything. Joy happens when environments are sensory-friendly, supportive, and do not demand masking to fit in.

• Quiet spaces: "I need the quiet to be able to concentrate and enjoy the research."
• Safe places to be authentic: "The colours and patterns make me feel happy and good, and I can feel safe to stim."
• Understanding people: Being with those who accept autistic ways of being.

4. Societal Prejudice Needs to be Fixed, Not Autistic People. The steepest barriers to joy were not autistic traits. Instead, they were the prevalent societal attitudes and behaviors, such as bullying autistic people for engaging in their intense interests and for expressing their need for sensory appropriate environments or accommodations. 

Participants called for:

• Sensory inclusive environments: Less noise, sensory-friendly lighting, accessible spaces.
• Acceptance of stimming and special interests: "Autistic people shouldn't have to hide our special interests."
• Understanding that autistic ways of experiencing joy are valid: "TRULY accept that our 'special interests'/passions give us happiness and fulfilment to a degree that simply does not exist for neurotypicals."

Toward Autistic Flourishing

This study challenges the pathology model's view of autism as purely a disorder or deficit. Instead, it supports what many autistic people have been saying for a long time: Autism can be a source of genuine strength and joy.

Autistic patterns of living fulfilling lives may differ from neuronormativeexpectations, but that does not mean autistic people are broken, need to be "fixed" or normalized. In many cases, attempts at "fixing" hurt, not help. Truly supporting autistic joy and fulfillment requires:

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• Accepting autistic ways of experiencing happiness as valid and valuable.
• Creating sensory-friendly environments.
• Allowing time and space for special interests.
• Not tying to "normalize" autistic behaviors that bring joy.
• Recognizing that stimming, intense interests, and repetitive activities often are a source of both joy and essential self-regulation. 

This study strengthens the neuroaffirming perspective on autism and challenges dehumanizing stereotypes. Autistic people are complete human beings with an extremely broad range of emotions, including intense, profound joy—along with deep pain of being excluded, ridiculed, and bullied. When we are accepted, when our environments reflect consideration of sensory needs and honor neurodignity, we don't just survive, we truly flourish.