The BRIDGE (Building Relationships for Inclusive Digital Growth and Engagement) project is an EU-funded ERASMUS+ KA220-YOU initiative led by Dr Neil Kenny and Dr Jane O’Kelly of Dublin City University and the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre. In collaboration with partners from Greece, Cyprus, Spain, and Croatia, BRIDGE aims “to promote responsible and safe Internet use by engaging with autistic youth to learn about their views of the internet, how they interact with online platforms and content and with others online” through co-participative research.
BRIDGE addresses a significant gap in both research and practice: how autistic youth experience the digital world. While the internet offers opportunities for connection and creativity, it also carries risks, particularly for those facing barriers to inclusion (Twenge et al., 2021). Autistic youth often encounter inaccessible platforms, limited support, and increased vulnerability to online harm (Gill et al., 2022; Kuo et al., 2013). BRIDGE is founded on the principle that digital participation is a fundamental right and must be safe, inclusive, and meaningful for all.
BRIDGE explores how autistic young people experience and navigate the digital world, and how meaningful supports can be developed to reflect these experiences. Increasingly, online spaces are not peripheral but central to many autistic young people’s social lives, identity formation, and ways of managing emotion. Yet, much of the existing research has tended to frame digital engagement through risk, often overlooking how these spaces can also offer connection, creativity, and a sense of belonging. Recent work, particularly that shaped by autistic researchers, calls for a shift away from deficit-oriented perspectives towards approaches that recognise autistic expertise and prioritise lived experience (Tibber et al., 2025).
BRIDGE reflects a shared commitment across partner countries to better understand autistic young people’s digital lives. At its core, BRIDGE aims to engage directly with autistic youth, their families, and key stakeholders to understand how they interact with online platforms, content, and communities. Rather than positioning young people as passive recipients of guidance, the project adopts a co-participative approach, where their insights actively shape the direction of the research and the supports that emerge from it.
The study has involved autistic young people aged 13–30, alongside parents, caregivers, and professionals working across education, youth work, and health and social care. Interviews and focus groups have been designed with accessibility in mind (offered both online and in person, with flexibility around communication preferences and support needs). This has allowed for a broader range of voices to be included, capturing the diversity of autistic experience.
What is already clear from the data is that autistic young people do not view the internet simply as a risky space. Many describe it as a place where they can connect with others who share their interests, find community, and express themselves more freely. For some, it also offers a way to regulate emotion or retreat from overwhelming offline environments. At the same time, participants are well aware of challenges, including cyberbullying, misinformation, and sensory overload.
Tensions sometimes arise between adult concerns about safety and young people’s desire for autonomy, highlighting the need for more nuanced forms of support.
The next phase of BRIDGE will draw on these insights to co-develop practical resources, including a digital wellbeing toolkit and training materials for families and professionals. These outputs aim not to restrict online engagement, but to support autistic young people in navigating digital spaces in ways that are safe, self-directed, and affirming.
References
- Gill, V., Monk, L., & Day, L. (2022). Qualitative research project to investigate the impact of online harms on children. Ecorys; Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1167838/Online_Harms_Study_Final_report_updated_51222_updated_290623.pdf
- Kuo, M. H., Orsmond, G. I., Coster, W. J., & Cohn, E. S. (2014). Media use among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Autism, 18(8), 914-923.
- Tibber, M. S., Rose, K., Mandy, W., Pellicano, E., & Pavlopoulou, G. (2025). Autistic Adults’ Priorities for Social Media and Mental Health Research: A Coproduced Delphi Consensus Study. Autism in Adulthood.
- Twenge, J. M., Haidt, J., Blake, A. B., McAllister, C., Lemon, H., & Le Roy, A. (2021). Worldwide increases in adolescent loneliness. Journal of adolescence, 93, 257-269.
Dr. Neil Kenny is an Associate Professor and researcher at the School of Inclusive and Special Education at DCU, where he is the programme chair of the Graduate Diploma in Leadership in Autism and Neuro-Inclusive Education (GD LANE). He is also a member of the Anti-Bullying Research Centre. He has an active research agenda, with his work being published in top journals such as PLOS ONE, Autism, and Autism in Adulthood. His work has been funded by the Irish Research Council (IRC), the EU ERASMUS+ programme, and The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. He has also completed research for charities such as AsIAm, Gheel Autism Services, and Blossom Ireland.