‘Autism doesn’t come with a manual, it comes with a parent who never gives up’: A family resilience perspective to exploring the views of Black and Minority Ethnic parents of children with autism

Abstract

Aim:The research adopted a family resilience perspective to explore the views and experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) parents raising a child with autism.Rationale:The existing literature concentrates largely on a problem-focussed narrative around culture and raising a child with autism in a Western society.Method:Semi-structured interviews were carried out with ten parents with the aim to elicit what was meaningful to them as their child negotiated their way through the education system. The qualitative paradigm provided insight into understanding the experiences of BME parents, their views on raising a child with autism, and their hopes for the future.Findings:The data was analysed using thematic analysis, with emerging themes highlighting the importance of quality of relationships, cultural aspects and a diverse set of values and beliefs across individual, family and community levels. Specific aspects of resilience experienced by families enabled them to function and remain optimistic in challenging situations. The challenges faced by parents provided insight into how hardships shaped their outlook and hopes for the future.Conclusions:The research indicates overwhelming positive aspects of raising a child with autism that are embedded with values and beliefs across individual, family and cultural contexts. There are implications for Educational Psychologists (EPs) with respect to adopting culturally responsive and strength-based approaches to promote racial justice and community cohesion. There is scope within the profession to reflect and draw on such approaches to promote opportunity, equality and positive partnerships with families from diverse backgrounds.