How can an interdisciplinary investigation into the lives of Black mothers raising autistic children in the UK encourage us to scrutinise systemic barriers and advocate for change?

Drawing from personal experience of raising autistic children, as well as a hybridised theoretical framework of Black Feminisms, Critical Race Theory, and Critical Disability Studies, this pioneering text offers an unparalleled lens into the intersecting spheres of race, gender, and disability.

Through individual testimonials, critical assessments of current practice, and actionable solutions, authors Claire Malcolm and Melissa Green compel readers to confront and dismantle the triad of oppression faced by these mothers.

Amplifying and validating the often-marginalised voices of Black mothers of autistic children, this book is ideal reading for students of Gender Studies, Disability Studies, Black Studies, Special Educational Needs, Social Work, and Psychology, as well as policy makers and educational administrators.

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Abstract
• Acknowledgements
• Foreword
• Table of Contents
• List of Figures
• Learning objectives
• Introduction
  • Our story
    • Meet Claire
    • Meet Mel
  • Our goals
    • Social construction
    • Counternarrative
    • Our shared meanings
      • Being autistic
    • Models of disability
    • Othered vs other-mothers
    • Chapter breakdown
• 1 Black motherhood and autism: Theory and reality
  • What do we mean by autism?
    • Claire’s story
    • Mel’s story
  • What do we mean by Blackness?
    • Mel’s story
    • Claire’s story
  • What do we mean by mother?
    • Claire’s story
    • Mel’s story
  • Stigma and stigmatisation
  • Outlining our conceptual framework
  • The triad of oppression and the multiplicity of burdens
• 2 Constructing a view from the margins: Hybridising collective autoethnography and participant research
  • The research design
  • Why collective autoethnography?
    • Autoethnography
    • Collective autoethnography
  • Phase 1: Building our collective autoethnographic account
    • Participant research
    • Recruitment
  • Phase 2: The quantitative survey
  • Phase 3: Semi-structured interviews
  • Phase 4: Focus groups
• 3 The multiplicity of burdens: Physical and psychological
  • Claire’s story
  • Mel’s story
  • In the words of our participants
  • The survey
    • The participants
    • The focus group participants
    • Additional interviewees
    • A further word on ‘resilience’
  • Breaking down the multiplicity of burdens
    • Physical burden
    • Mel’s story
    • Claire’s story
    • Physical weathering
    • The vicarious physical burden
  • Psychological burden
    • Claire’s story
    • Mel’s story
    • Psychological impact
    • Dismissal of early concerns
    • Diagnostic delays
    • Impact of diagnosis
    • Lack of post-diagnostic support
    • Lack of opportunities for self-care
    • The impact of the tropes of Black womanhood
    • Managing a child’s self-harm and suicidal ideation
    • Racial discrimination
• 4 The multiplicity of burdens: Cultural, practical and temporal
  • Cultural burden
  • Mel’s story
  • Claire’s story
  • A ‘culture’ of systemic racism
  • A culture of parent blame
  • Why culture does matter
  • Raising children with an awareness of their own culture
  • Religion
    • Practical burden
    • Claire’s story
    • Mel’s story
    • Practicalities for Black mothers
    • The gendered division of labour
    • Creating a safe environment
    • Going it alone
    • ‘Life admin’
    • Appeals and tribunals
    • Home-educating
    • The impact on career
    • The financial implications of caring
    • Managing sibling relationships
  • Temporal burden
    • Claire’s story
    • Mel’s story
    • Time poverty
    • Enduring parental responsibility
  • The privatisation of trauma
    • Claire’s story
    • Mel’s story
    • Navigating public services privately
• 5 Recommendations for improved practice
  • 1. End false economy
  • 2. Reduce the number of barriers to referral and diagnosis
  • 3. Improve training and professional competency across the SEND system
  • 4. Embed anti-racism in professional practice
  • 5. Acknowledge and invest in parental expertise
  • 6. Empower the community to create genuine transformation
  • Physical burden
  • Psychological burden
  • Cultural burden
  • Practical burden
  • Temporal burden
• 6 Conclusions
  • What are the common experiences of Black mothers in the UK raising autistic children?
  • How do Black mothers perceive and navigate the UK healthcare, education and social care services for their autistic children?
  • How do Black mothers perceive the role of racial and/or gender identity in their experiences?
  • What specific recommendations do Black mothers have for improving healthcare, education, and social services for their autistic children?
    • A word on further research
• Recommended projects
  • Reflective essays and critical analysis
  • Group discussions and debates
  • Case study analysis
  • Creative and community-based projects
• References
• Index

Claire Malcolm is a Lecturer in Politics at the Open University.

Melissa Green is a former Primary School Teacher and Lecturer in Education (Primary) at the Open University.

Both are Black mothers who are raising autistic children in the UK.