"Maybe No One Knows We Need Help": Understanding the Experiences of Autistic Working Mothers in Australia. Gore, K., Hayward, S., Flower, R., Gilbert, M., & Barbaro, J. Autism in Adulthood, 6(1):47–59, 2024.
"Maybe No One Knows We Need Help": Understanding the Experiences of Autistic Working Mothers in Australia [link]Paper  doi  abstract   bibtex   
Background: Although there are no known studies investigating autistic working mothers, research has demonstrated that managing employment and motherhood in non-autistic populations has specific challenges, as does employment in autistic populations. This autistic-led study aimed at investigating the experience of autistic working mothers to identify benefits, challenges, and support needs. Methods: We utilized a subjectivist epistemological perspective to learn about the experiences of autistic working mothers. We recruited 10 autistic working mothers (aged 34-50 years) via social media advertisements, who participated in a 45- to 60-minute semi-structured interview where we asked questions developed in consultation with a community reference group. We transcribed interviews and then analyzed them using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. Results: We identified three key themes. The first theme, "Wellbeing: Work gives me purpose," discusses how employment supports mental well-being. The second theme, "Challenges: It's hard being an autistic working mother," includes the challenges of balancing work and caregiving, guilt related to being a working mother, and issues with part-time work. The third theme, "The invisible disability: Everyone thinks I look okay," discusses the lack of understanding of participants' challenges, with assumptions they are coping, and the lack of supports that led to some participants no longer seeking assistance. Conclusions: The responses of the autistic women who took part support a view that autistic working mothers may experience some similar challenges to non-autistic working mothers, including stress in juggling caring and work roles. They identified additional challenges related to their gender and their autistic identity, including a lack of understanding of the female (or "internalized") presentation of autism. These findings will help autistic working mothers by promoting a better understanding of their experiences and challenges when they speak with health professionals, government, and employers seeking support and accommodations.
@article{gore_maybe_2024,
	title = {"{Maybe} {No} {One} {Knows} {We} {Need} {Help}": {Understanding} the {Experiences} of {Autistic} {Working} {Mothers} in {Australia}},
	volume = {6},
	issn = {2573-959X},
	url = {https://www.embase.com/search/results?subaction=viewrecord&id=L2030813015&from=export},
	doi = {10.1089/aut.2022.0089},
	abstract = {Background: Although there are no known studies investigating autistic working mothers, research has demonstrated that managing employment and motherhood in non-autistic populations has specific challenges, as does employment in autistic populations. This autistic-led study aimed at investigating the experience of autistic working mothers to identify benefits, challenges, and support needs. Methods: We utilized a subjectivist epistemological perspective to learn about the experiences of autistic working mothers. We recruited 10 autistic working mothers (aged 34-50 years) via social media advertisements, who participated in a 45- to 60-minute semi-structured interview where we asked questions developed in consultation with a community reference group. We transcribed interviews and then analyzed them using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. Results: We identified three key themes. The first theme, "Wellbeing: Work gives me purpose," discusses how employment supports mental well-being. The second theme, "Challenges: It's hard being an autistic working mother," includes the challenges of balancing work and caregiving, guilt related to being a working mother, and issues with part-time work. The third theme, "The invisible disability: Everyone thinks I look okay," discusses the lack of understanding of participants' challenges, with assumptions they are coping, and the lack of supports that led to some participants no longer seeking assistance. Conclusions: The responses of the autistic women who took part support a view that autistic working mothers may experience some similar challenges to non-autistic working mothers, including stress in juggling caring and work roles. They identified additional challenges related to their gender and their autistic identity, including a lack of understanding of the female (or "internalized") presentation of autism. These findings will help autistic working mothers by promoting a better understanding of their experiences and challenges when they speak with health professionals, government, and employers seeking support and accommodations.},
	language = {English},
	number = {1},
	journal = {Autism in Adulthood},
	author = {Gore, K. and Hayward, S.M. and Flower, R.L. and Gilbert, M. and Barbaro, J.},
	year = {2024},
	keywords = {Australia, adult, anxiety, article, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, care behavior, coping, depression, disability, economic well-being, female, guilt, housekeeping, human, mental health, middle aged, parttime employment, personal experience, prospective study, psychological well-being, semi structured interview, support group, thematic analysis, work schedule, working mother, workplace},
	pages = {47--59},
}
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