Sara De Vuyst receives grants for research on older women with autism

Sara De Vuyst has received two grants to support her research on the experiences of older women with autism: a €50,000 grant through the NWO SSH Open Competition XS and a €7,500 Universiteitsfonds Limburg/SWOL grant for related research with a specific focus on women living in Limburg.

Her NWO-funded project, ‘Ageing on the Spectrum: Centring the lived experiences of older women with autism, including later life diagnosis, invisibility, and strategies for support and resistance’, focuses on a group that has received little attention in autism research. The Universiteitsfonds Limburg/SWOL grant supports related research, further contributing to Sara's work on the experiences and needs of older autistic women.

Most autism research has focused on men and children, while the experiences of older autistic women remain largely invisible. Because diagnostic criteria have historically been based on male characteristics, many women only receive an autism diagnosis later in life. Yet little is known about how they experience this life-changing event, the stereotypes they encounter, or the support available to them.

Through ethnographic research combining participant observation, in-depth interviews and participatory methods, Sara's research will generate new theoretical and empirical insights into the experiences of older autistic women and contribute to making this overlooked group more visible.

About the grants

The NWO SSH Open Competition XS programme provides funding of up to €50,000 for promising research ideas, allowing researchers to develop innovative projects over a period of six months to two years. The Universiteitsfonds Limburg/SWOL grant supports research and education projects by Maastricht University staff, as well as scientific conferences and workshops.