UX writing for autistic users
Best practices to promote accessibility for this misunderstood cohort of users.
The original title of this article was ‘How to: UX writing for neurodivergent users’. However, after some desk research, I realised the scope of that topic would be huge, and it would be difficult to do it justice in one article.
Instead, let’s focus on how we can empower autistic users (users diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder) in our UX writing.
Amongst this cohort, there exists a tremendously wide and nuanced spectrum of user challenges and superpowers.
Indeed, there is no ‘typical’ autistic user — and this is crucially important to remember when UX writing.
Due to autistic users’ communication style often being divergent from sociocultural norms, they are routinely misunderstood.
In fact, as evidenced by emerging research, the condition itself is hugely misunderstood too.
This is in part due to the use of inappropriate qualitative research methods, designed for working with neurotypical research participants by neurotypical researchers for neurotypical users.
Common user research methods such as interviews often do not allow for autistic participants to authentically share their thoughts and feelings, as they may find it difficult to express themselves verbally.
Disclaimer: this article is intended only as a springboard into UX writing for autistic users. It is far from comprehensive. Check out the resources at the end of the article to explore the topic in more depth.
So, what is autism?
According to the British National Autistic Society:
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world.
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):
Autism or Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges.
How many users are autistic?
A systematic review published in 2022 found a median global prevalence of autism in children of 1%, in studies published from 2012 to 2021, with a trend of increasing prevalence over time.
This 1% figure may not be accurate however, due to a suspected underestimate of prevalence in low- and middle-income countries.
Autism diagnoses are 400%< more common among boys (1 in 34) than among girls (1 in 154), and have been reported in all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups.
Common challenges for autistic users
Depending on where individuals are on the autism spectrum can determine how much they experience certain symptoms.
Autistic users are more likely to:
- Experience distress caused by changes in an established pattern
- Prefer structure and predictability over spontaneity or surprises
- Have a higher tendency to experience sensory overload, for example from busy interfaces with multiple visual/auditory stimuli or unstructured copy
- Exhibit obsessive behaviours
- Misinterpret or miss social cues
- Experience anxiety or mood disturbances
- Have difficulty communicating
- Cope poorly with situations that cause emotions like stress, anxiety or frustration (a.k.a emotional dysregulation)
- Have meltdowns from frustration
Common misconceptions
- All autistic users have the same characteristics
Autism is referred to as a ‘spectrum’ disorder because there is a wide variation in the type and severity of symptoms that people experience.
- Autistic users are unemotional
The frequent lack of emotional expressivity in autistic individuals is often misinterpreted as a lack of emotion. Autistic users can and do experience a wide variety of emotions, just like their non-autistic counterparts.
- Autistic users only interpret things literally
This is not true. Autistic individuals can understand metaphor, they simply are more likely to interpret background knowledge in a different way in order to form logical inferences.
Discrimination
It is important to be aware of these prejudices, in order to promote fair and equitable treatment.
- Dehumanisation — talking about autistic users in sub-human terms
- Objectification — treating autistic people like objects
- Stigmatisation — making othering statements which set autistic people apart from non-autistic people and sometimes below in status.
Best practices to support autistic users
Research methods
As with all user cohorts, individuals’ behaviours and needs vary massively. In order to avoid making harmful and erroneous assumptions, it’s important to conduct careful research that takes into account user characteristics, and ensures the data is of a high quality.
Usability testing using eye tracking can be one helpful means for understanding how autistic users gather information and what might influence their actions and decisions, as it doesn’t rely on users having to speak.
Want to learn more about user research methodologies for autistic users?
Read this paper by Katherine Valencia, Cristian Rusu, Federico Botella and Erick Jamet.
Systematic empathy
Katherine Valencia, Cristian Rusu and Federico Botella’s 2022 paper proposes a neat 9-factor model (inspired by Peter Morville’s ‘user experience honeycomb’).
The careful consideration of each factor contributes to a valuable experience for autistic users, and being aware of them can assist the design and writing of appropriate systems:
- Engaging
- Predictable
- Structured
- Interactive
- Generalizable
- Customisable
- Sense-aware
- Attention Retaining
- Frustration Free
And here is Morville’s honeycomb reimagined, illustrating these proposed factors of good UX writing for autistic users:
Conclusion
As UX writers and content designers, we are frequently under pressure to deliver solutions fast, due to commercial constraints. The harsh reality is that often we cannot find the time to dedicate to researching or empathising with any users, let alone users with divergent needs such as those diagnosed with autism.
In light of this, we must prioritise research of neurodivergent users. Building a small amount of dedicated time into your weekly schedule for continuous research is a great place to start.
~1% of users may be autistic, but surely we should devote more than 1% of our time to elevating their experiences, since their experiences are more likely to be suboptimal than more stereotypical users, whose needs and wants are at the centre of most UX writing decisions.
