Nearly two-thirds of autistic mothers say they need extra support, research shows.
Researchers Alex Pohl and Sarah Kaarina Crockford found 60 per cent of the mothers had anxiety speaking to professionals.
Sarah Kaarina Crockford says her research on autistic mothers shows they need “tailored support”
The Cambridge University researchers also found up to 80 per cent of mothers worried that professionals’ attitudes to them would change if they revealed their autism.
The findings come from an online survey. It compiled responses from 355 autistic women and 132 neurotypical women.
Around two-thirds of the autistic women had a diagnosis, while the remainder identified themselves as autistic.
Giving birth ‘not explained’
Up to 34 per cent of the autistic women felt that no one had explained to them about giving birth. In comparison, 17 per cent of the neurotypical women felt it had not been explained.
But there was little difference between the proportion of women in both groups attending antenatal classes. The figure was 67 per cent for autistic women, and 72 per cent for neurotypical women.
Autistic mothers are more likely to experience depression before and after birth, the survey found.
Some 40 per cent of the autistic mothers in the survey experienced antenatal depression, compared with 25 per cent of the non-autistic women.
Also, 60 per cent of the autistic women experienced post-natal depression, compared with 45 per cent of the neurotypical women.
Aim is to provide ‘better support for autistic women’
Crockford said she wanted the findings to “help provide better and more tailored support for mothers on the autism spectrum”.
The research also suggested that autistic women have a more difficult time adjusting to parental multi-tasking.
Up to 51 per cent could cope with multi-tasking, compared with 94 per cent of non-autistic mothers.
And autistic mothers have more problems breastfeeding their second child. Some 51 per cent reported difficulties, compared to 36 per cent of neurotypical women.
The research, A comparative study of autistic and non-autistic women’s experience of motherhood, was published in the journal Molecular Autism.
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Published: 15 January 2020
