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Why autistic mothers may feel overwhelmed and undersupported

by Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky / 26 February 2020

54% of autistic mothers report that professionals involved with their children often don’t believe them, compared with 31% of neurotypical mothers. 41% of autistic mothers feel that agencies do not support them sufficiently when they ask for parenting help. 68% of neurotypical mothers feel they can turn to others for parenting support. Only 41% of autistic mothers feel the same. 44% of autistic mothers report having anxiety that affects their ability to communicate, compared with 6% of neurotypical mothers. 38% of autistic mothers rarely or never disclose their autism diagnosis to professionals when talking about their children. 94% of neurotypical mothers say they can cope with parental multitasking. Only 51% of autistic mothers say the same. 85% of neurotypical mothers say they can cope with all the domestic responsibilities of parenting compared with 47% of autistic mothers. Autistic mothers do not differ from neurotypical mothers in putting their children’s needs above their own.

Illustrations by Michela Buttignol

Illustration shows stresses on new mothers, especially mothers with autism

References:

Pohl A.L. et al. Mol. Autism 11, 3 (2020) PubMed

TAGS: adults with autism, anxiety, autism, depression, health care, pregnancy

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