UCLA

Little is known about the parenting experiences of autistic mothers, yet there is reason to believe that autistic mothers of non-autistic daughters have a unique set of experiences, especially during their daughters’ adolescence. Mother-daughter relationships are considered to be the closest of all parent-child relationships – however, the nature of parent-child interactions change during adolescence as children seek autonomy from their parents. Furthermore, differences in communication between autistic mothers and their non-autistic adolescent daughters, as proposed by the double-empathy theory of autism, may influence their relationships. The current study aimed to understand the parenting experiences of autistic mothers who have raised or are currently raising non-autistic adolescent daughters. Seven autistic mothers of adolescent (n=5) and adult (n=2) non-autistic daughters participated in semi-structured interviews. Mothers were asked about the strengths and challenges of parenting an adolescent daughter, as well as ways that they communicated with their daughters and guided their social development. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach was implemented when analyzing the data to identify themes related to the lived experiences of autistic mothers. Four superordinate themes were identified: 1) Closeness in relationships, 2) Parenting strengths, 3) Identifying own social challenges, and 4) Building daughters’ social skills. These themes reflected feelings of affection, understanding, and support that characterized mother-daughter relationships (Theme 1) as well as the parenting strengths that mothers described (Theme 2). Mothers reported difficulties in understanding social dynamics (Theme 3) and expressed concerns about their daughters’ social development – however, they were proactive in ensuring that their daughters had opportunities for positive social interactions (Theme 4). This research therefore highlights the strengths of autistic mothers and the loving relationships they have with their daughters. Mothers in the current study also revealed specific challenges, such as interacting with other parents who often ignored or excluded them. Therefore, the current study further emphasizes the need for greater societal awareness, acceptance, and inclusion of the autistic community.