'I'm sick of being the problem': Autistic mothers' experiences of interacting with schools for their autistic children.
Aspasia Stacey Rabba, Jodie Smith, Gabrielle Hall and 11 others
PMID 39582183WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic mothers described schools treating them as the problem and the enemy, and advocacy as traumatic and stressful, with mental health, family, and financial strain.
Positive experiences were described when teachers were flexible, valued parent expertise, and created safe, connected classrooms.
Key findings
01Autistic mothers reported feeling perceived as the problem and the enemy in challenging school interactions.
02Mothers described advocacy as traumatic and stressful, and said it weighed on their mental health, children, and families.
03Positive school experiences were described when educators were flexible, valued parents' expertise, and created safe, connected environments.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was not representative: all participants were mothers, most were university educated, and most identified as white ethnic background, so findings may not reflect autistic fathers, less educated parents, or culturally diverse families. Participants were self-selected, so parents with difficult school experiences may have been more motivated to take part. Most children were able to use verbal communication, so experiences of families with non-speaking or minimally speaking children, intellectual disability, or higher support needs may be underrepresented. The study reports mothers' experiences, not measured child outcomes or tested interventions, so it cannot show what improves school participation or wellbeing.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the positive partnerships as evidence that flexible teachers or parent involvement improves child outcomes. This qualitative study reports 31 mothers' experiences, not tested interventions or measured outcomes.