Symbolic narratives and embodied selves: Exploring identity and affective expression in neurodivergent youth

This study explores how neurodivergent young adults with psychiatric, developmental, and intellectual disabilities construct symbolic self-representations through a multimodal narrative-visual workshop using evocative image cards. Conducted in an inclusive and semi-structured setting with 12 participants, the workshop enabled participants to explore themes of identity, emotional growth, and relationality through metaphorical language, visual association, and affective dialogue. Thematic analysis revealed a dense constellation of symbolic self-constructions and narrative improvisations, including ambivalent emotional states, fragmented self-images, fantastical identifications, and internalized cultural scripts. The use of symbolic proxies—animals, celestial bodies, archetypal figures—enabled participants to express embodied affect, relational positioning, and developmental transitions beyond conventional communicative modes. The self emerged not as fixed, but as relational, visually mediated, and emotionally negotiated. Drawing on embodiment theory, narrative psychology, and disability studies, the paper conceptualizes these narratives as acts of creative authorship and affective epistemology. Rather than treating symbolic discontinuities as clinical deficits, they are reframed as expressive resources for navigating vulnerability, internal conflict, and social norms. This research affirms the narrative agency of neurodivergent individuals and emphasizes the value of symbolic, visual, and affective spaces for inclusive psychosocial practice.