'Welcome to my first rant!' Report on a participatory pilot project to develop the 'AS portal', an online peer support network for higher education students on the autism spectrum

This paper reports on the pilot phase of a participatory project to develop an online 'AS portal', which provided peer-to-peer support for higher education students with Asperger's syndrome. The process of development is described and the initial outcomes of the pilot evaluated, including qualitative feedback from participants. Participants actively engaged with the portal, by giving and receiving support through in-depth discussion, much of which centred on the experience of having autism. The research indicates that there is value in further exploring peer support networks for individuals on the autism spectrum and highlights the importance of appropriate design and sufficient time-scale for such initiatives. It also reflects on the implications of participatory methodologies for both researchers and participants.