Inquiry and innovation: Considering curiosity and creativity in autism
Affiliation of Author, Researcher, or Creator
School of Communication
Department
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Author(s)
Rhiannon Luyster, Kyle Greene-Pendelton, Sudha Arunachalam
Resource Type
Other
Publication, Publisher or Distributor
Acta Psychologica, Volume 264
Publication Date
3-9-2026
Brief Description
This paper examines the roles of curiosity and creativity in the development of autistic individuals and argues that these capacities have been largely overlooked in autism research. The authors critically evaluate common assumptions that curiosity and creativity are either diminished or fundamentally different in autism, suggesting that existing perspectives may underestimate how these abilities are expressed. They propose new directions for research and encourage educators, parents, and service providers to recognize and support diverse expressions of curiosity and creativity. The paper highlights how fostering these capacities can promote innovation, personal growth, and well-being across the lifespan for autistic individuals, just as they do for non-autistic individuals.
Keywords
Autism, Curiosity, Creativity, Innovation
Recommended Citation
Luyster, R., Greene-Pendelton, K., & Arunachalam, S. (2026). Inquiry and innovation: Considering curiosity and creativity in autism. Acta Psychologica, 264, 106571. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.106571
Preferred Citation Style
APA
Peer Reviewed
1
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
License Agreement
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