A Qualitative Exploration into the Sensory Experiences of Autistic Mothers

Moyna Catherine Talcer; Orla Duffy; Katy Pedlow

doi:10.1007/s10803-021-05188-1

A Qualitative Exploration into the Sensory Experiences of Autistic Mothers

Moyna Catherine Talcer, Orla Duffy, Katy Pedlow

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

46 Citations (Scopus)

438 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Research has found 96% of autistic individuals experience sensory processing difficulties, and being a parent presents many sensory demands that may be especially challenging for autistic mothers. Despite the high prevalence, no research exists exploring the sensory experiences of autistic mothers, highlighting the gap in current knowledge. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 autistic mothers, data were analysed using thematic analysis identifying 5 major themes: antenatal experiences, sensory experiences in motherhood, the impact of sensory processing difficulties, strategies and needs, diagnosis. This research provides greater insight and understanding into the sensory experiences of autistic mothers which can influence earlier diagnosis and inform appropriate support and adaptations for autistic mothers in a variety of different sectors and highlights a possible emerging role for Occupational Therapists.

Original language	English
Number of pages	16
Journal	Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Early online date	12 Jul 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05188-1
Publication status	Published online - 12 Jul 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The author would like to thank the mothers who participated in this research for sharing their valuable experiences and trust. The author wishes to acknowledge the Elizabeth Casson Trust fund for funding the researcher’s MSc final year module fees. The researcher owes a debt of gratitude to her dedicated MSc supervisors Dr. Orla Duffy and Dr. Katy Pedlow without whom this research would not have been possiable. The researcher also wishes to acknowledge Dr Simon Baron-Cohen and his research team at Cambridge University for their guidance and support in the initial phases of ethical approval and for advertising the study through the Cambridge Autism Research Database. Finally, the researcher wishes to thank her family for their love and unfailing support and understanding throughout this process.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).

Funding

Funding Information: The author would like to thank the mothers who participated in this research for sharing their valuable experiences and trust. The author wishes to acknowledge the Elizabeth Casson Trust fund for funding the researcher’s MSc final year module fees. The researcher owes a debt of gratitude to her dedicated MSc supervisors Dr. Orla Duffy and Dr. Katy Pedlow without whom this research would not have been possiable. The researcher also wishes to acknowledge Dr Simon Baron-Cohen and his research team at Cambridge University for their guidance and support in the initial phases of ethical approval and for advertising the study through the Cambridge Autism Research Database. Finally, the researcher wishes to thank her family for their love and unfailing support and understanding throughout this process. Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).

Keywords

Autistic mothers
Experience
Female autism
Motherhood
Sensory
Thematic analysis

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1007/s10803-021-05188-1Licence: CC BY

Talcer_et_al-2021-Journal_of_Autism_and_Developmental_DisordersFinal published version, 1.42 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "A Qualitative Exploration into the Sensory Experiences of Autistic Mothers",

abstract = "Research has found 96\% of autistic individuals experience sensory processing difficulties, and being a parent presents many sensory demands that may be especially challenging for autistic mothers. Despite the high prevalence, no research exists exploring the sensory experiences of autistic mothers, highlighting the gap in current knowledge. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 autistic mothers, data were analysed using thematic analysis identifying 5 major themes: antenatal experiences, sensory experiences in motherhood, the impact of sensory processing difficulties, strategies and needs, diagnosis. This research provides greater insight and understanding into the sensory experiences of autistic mothers which can influence earlier diagnosis and inform appropriate support and adaptations for autistic mothers in a variety of different sectors and highlights a possible emerging role for Occupational Therapists.",

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A Qualitative Exploration into the Sensory Experiences of Autistic Mothers

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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