Body image and autism: A scoping review

Background: Accumulating research has broadened our understanding of body image across novel populations, and attention is turning towards exploring how autistic individuals experience their body. However, to date, there has been no synthesis of the body image and autism literature. This scoping review provides an overview of the emerging literature which focuses on body image and autism.

Methods: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL Plus, and APA PsychInfo were searched using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A total of n = 8 studies (3 cross-sectional, 1 experimental, 4 qualitative) met the inclusion criteria. These were examined to identify what is known from original empirical research, theoretical standpoints, and experiential perspectives.

Results: Overall, findings suggest there is a significant relationship between indices of negative body image (e.g., body dissatisfaction) and autistic traits. This review also suggests that autistic individuals experience both negative and positive aspects of body image, informed by autism-specific factors such as differences in social communication, information processing, and sensory sensitivities. The extant research is, however, limited to either neurotypical samples or autistic individuals in clinical contexts (e.g., eating disorders, weight management).

Conclusion: This review identifies a paucity of robust research investigating body image and autism. Future research is encouraged to investigate the construct of body image in the actual autistic population more comprehensively, as doing so holds important implications for research and research-informed practice.