Redefining flourishing : young autistic women’s perspectives of a life lived well in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand

Abstract

This thesis explores how autistic women and gender-diverse individuals aged 18–24 in Aotearoa New Zealand understand and experience flourishing. Motivated by the lack of autistic perspectives in well-being research, the study is grounded in critical realism and informed by neurodiversity and critical disability paradigms. It aims to centre lived experience and challenge deficit-based models that position autistic people as inherently lacking well-being or in need of ‘normalisation’. A two-stage primarily qualitative design was used, with 18 participants completing a custom online survey based on psychometrics of joy and flourishing. The survey combined open-ended reflections with basic quantitative ratings of life domains. These survey findings informed the development of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with six participants. Reflexive thematic analysis identified five key themes: (1) Seeking Connection While Guarding the Self, (2) Intimacy as a Spectrum, (3) Family as Framework and Fracture, (4) The Hidden Cost of Coping, and (5) Redefining a Life Worth Living. Participants described flourishing not in terms of normative success, but through authenticity, sensory alignment, relational safety, and emotional sustainability. Material and psychological security emerged as foundational across narratives. Findings challenge traditional models of well-being such as PERMA and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, revealing the limitations of linear and externally defined metrics. In their place, a neurodivergent-informed model of flourishing is proposed, centred around five interwoven dimensions: security and stability; authenticity and self-acceptance; sensory and emotional regulation; reciprocal connection; and joy in the everyday. This study contributes to autistic scholarship by affirming that flourishing is not about overcoming difference but about creating environments where difference is supported. Implications for theory, practice, and policy are discussed.