Addressing intersectional invisibility: Exploring the lived experiences of Black African mothers raising an autistic child in the UK.
Saved in:
| Title: | Addressing intersectional invisibility: Exploring the lived experiences of Black African mothers raising an autistic child in the UK. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Lemboye, Sophie (AUTHOR), Giles, Pandora (AUTHOR), Adedoyin, Adeola (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Educational & Child Psychology. Mar2025, Vol. 42 Issue 1, p79-93. 15p. |
| Subjects: | Black Africans, Support groups, Mothers, Maturation (Psychology), English language, Autistic children |
| Abstract: | Aim Whilst autism is an extensively researched area, the vast majority of research has focused on participants from a White Western background. Research exploring experiences from global majority participants is needed to diversify current knowledge of autism to support the development of inclusive policies and practices. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of Black African mothers raising autistic children in the UK. Method Adopting a participatory model, a Black African mother of an autistic child was recruited as a co-researcher. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six Black African mothers to gain their views on raising an autistic child. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to gain an understanding of their lived experiences. Findings Five superordinate group themes emerged from the mothers' lived experiences, which seemed to have an underlying cultural link. These were cultural construction of autism – negative perceptions of autism within the mothers' communities that stemmed from a different awareness and understanding of autism; accessing support – initially mothers disengaged from professional services due to shock and denial. However, once mothers felt more accepting of the diagnosis, they described difficulties in gaining support for their children; the role of religion – religion played a significant and often conflicting part in the mothers' lives, acting as supportive but also blocking their full acceptance of the autism diagnosis. Religion was also believed to contribute to the negative views of autism within their culture; the role of race- many wondered if being racialised as Black negatively impacted their experiences, and there were hopes for more culturally specific parent support groups and positives – mothers noted strengths in their autistic children and personal growth participants felt they had gained from being a parent to an autistic child. Limitations A key methodological limitation was that mothers needed to speak English at a conversational level to participate in the interviews. It is possible that the experiences of mothers not fluent in English could differ, primarily because of the impact of a language barrier which may lead to communication difficulties when seeking support and misunderstandings of information gained. Conclusions Participants' cultural backgrounds influence their lived experiences of parenting autistic children. There is a need for professionals to offer culturally sensitive support. It is hoped this research has empowered a Black African mother through acting as co-researcher and provided an opportunity for the voices of a marginalised group to be centred and heard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Educational & Child Psychology is the property of British Psychological Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | Aim Whilst autism is an extensively researched area, the vast majority of research has focused on participants from a White Western background. Research exploring experiences from global majority participants is needed to diversify current knowledge of autism to support the development of inclusive policies and practices. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of Black African mothers raising autistic children in the UK. Method Adopting a participatory model, a Black African mother of an autistic child was recruited as a co-researcher. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six Black African mothers to gain their views on raising an autistic child. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to gain an understanding of their lived experiences. Findings Five superordinate group themes emerged from the mothers' lived experiences, which seemed to have an underlying cultural link. These were cultural construction of autism – negative perceptions of autism within the mothers' communities that stemmed from a different awareness and understanding of autism; accessing support – initially mothers disengaged from professional services due to shock and denial. However, once mothers felt more accepting of the diagnosis, they described difficulties in gaining support for their children; the role of religion – religion played a significant and often conflicting part in the mothers' lives, acting as supportive but also blocking their full acceptance of the autism diagnosis. Religion was also believed to contribute to the negative views of autism within their culture; the role of race- many wondered if being racialised as Black negatively impacted their experiences, and there were hopes for more culturally specific parent support groups and positives – mothers noted strengths in their autistic children and personal growth participants felt they had gained from being a parent to an autistic child. Limitations A key methodological limitation was that mothers needed to speak English at a conversational level to participate in the interviews. It is possible that the experiences of mothers not fluent in English could differ, primarily because of the impact of a language barrier which may lead to communication difficulties when seeking support and misunderstandings of information gained. Conclusions Participants' cultural backgrounds influence their lived experiences of parenting autistic children. There is a need for professionals to offer culturally sensitive support. It is hoped this research has empowered a Black African mother through acting as co-researcher and provided an opportunity for the voices of a marginalised group to be centred and heard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 02671611 |
| DOI: | 10.53841/bpsecp.2025.42.1.79 |
