“It Has Shown Me How Much I Am Capable Of”: An Exploration of Autistic Burnout Experiences in Motherhood

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. two authors of this publication are identified as autistic in the project.

About the autistic author marker

Metadata sources used for this reference

OpenAlex Crossref OpenCitations
Learn more about the sources used

Ferguson, A., Martin, D., & Pearson, A. (2024). “It Has Shown Me How Much I Am Capable Of”: An Exploration of Autistic Burnout Experiences in Motherhood. Autism in Adulthood, 8(4), 634-645. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2024.0282

Publication date: 28 Nov 2024 Added to AutiHub: 6 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) Full text OpenAlex source

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
3
Publication authors identified as autistic
2 / 3 (66.7%)
  1. Ashton Ferguson *
  2. David Martin
  3. Amy Pearson *

Abstract

Background: Research has highlighted a relationship between autistic motherhood and autistic burnout, although autistic mothers' experiences of autistic burnout have not been explored in depth. Method: To address this research gap, we used a participatory approach and a qualitative methodology with the aim of understanding: (1) how autistic mothers experience autistic burnout in relation to their parenting role and (2) what support they need to prevent and recover from this. We recruited 13 autistic mothers via social media to participate in an online semi-structured interview. We analyzed these interviews using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. Results: We developed four main themes. Theme 1, "Depletion," focuses on the contributory factors to autistic burnout. Theme 2, "You have to just get up and keep going," demonstrates how autistic mothers continued to care for and maintain their relationships with their children while experiencing autistic burnout. Theme 3, "New realizations," reveals how autistic burnout impacted autistic mothers' self-understanding and self-awareness. Theme 4, "We need support too," discusses the availability and accessibility of support for autistic mothers and their subsequent experiences of this. Findings highlight that autistic mothers' difficulties associated with their autistic burnout are compounded by a lack of autism acceptance and understanding from others, although they felt that burnout did not impact their parenting capacity. Conclusions: We provide several recommendations to improve outcomes for autistic mothers, including a need for increased autistic-led training for professionals, and for the development of formal, autistic-led peer support services and community groups. Community Brief: Our findings further the understanding of the unique features of autistic burnout and contribute toward a growing evidence base that emphasizes the need for well-resourced autistic community support networks. These networks provide insider understanding and emotional support but are often reliant upon exhausted community members. We suggest that better support would include both professional aid (from well-trained professionals with a solid knowledge of autistic burnout) and community knowledge to ensure more sustainable and effective support for autistic people.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 2 Oct 2026 02:39.

Cited references
65
With a DOI
64
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
1
21 / 65 (32.3%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
0 / 65 (0.0%)
References with detected author names
65 / 65 (100.0%)
Without detected author names
0
Without a structured title
0
Without a stable identifier
1
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
1
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
250
From DOI or external metadata
250
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
151 / 250 (60.4%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 99 / 250 (39.6%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
37 / 250 (14.8%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 37 / 151 (24.5%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 32 / 215 (14.9%).
  1. Jasmine McDonald , Elaine Lopes (2014). How parents home educate their children with an autism spectrum disorder with the support of the Schools of Isolated and Distance Education . International Journal of Inclusive Education, 18(1), 1-17. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/13603116.2012.751634 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2049246445
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  2. Debra Beach Copeland , Bonnie Lee Harbaugh (2019). “It's Hard Being a Mama”: Validation of the Maternal Distress Concept in Becoming a Mother . The Journal of Perinatal Education, 28(1), 28-42. Springer Publishing Company.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1891/1058-1243.28.1.28 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2921154650
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  3. Rebecca Winnard , Mark Roy , Hannah Butler-Coyne (2022). Motherhood: Female Perspectives and Experiences of Being a Parent with ASC . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52(5), 2314-2324. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05122-5 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3172915465
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  4. Donald B. Bailey , Melissa Raspa , Murrey G. Olmsted , Scott P. Novak , Ann M. Sam , Betsy P. Humphreys et al. (2011). Development and Psychometric Validation of the Family Outcomes Survey-Revised . Journal of Early Intervention, 33(1), 6-23. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1053815111399441 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2117122082
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  5. Anushree Modak , Vaishnavi Ronghe , Kavita P Gomase , Manjusha G Mahakalkar , Vaishali Taksande (2023). A Comprehensive Review of Motherhood and Mental Health: Postpartum Mood Disorders in Focus . Cureus, 15(9), e46209-e46209. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.46209 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4387168331
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  6. Lucia Ciciolla , Suniya S. Luthar (2019). Invisible Household Labor and Ramifications for Adjustment: Mothers as Captains of Households . Sex Roles, 81(7-8), 467-486. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s11199-018-1001-x OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2913161657
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  7. E. Tory Higgins (1987). Self-discrepancy: A theory relating self and affect. Psychological Review, 94(3), 319-340. American Psychological Association (APA).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1037/0033-295x.94.3.319 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2162153512
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  8. Moïra Mikolajczak , Isabelle Roskam (2018). A Theoretical and Clinical Framework for Parental Burnout: The Balance Between Risks and Resources (BR2) . Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 886-886. Frontiers Media SA.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00886 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2804767315
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  9. Sue Wilkinson , Celia Kitzinger (2013). Representing Our Own Experience . Psychology of Women Quarterly, 37(2), 251-255. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/0361684313483111 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2328762899
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  10. Katy Johanna Benson (2023). Perplexing Presentations: Compulsory Neuronormativity and Cognitive Marginalisation in Social Work Practice with Autistic Mothers of Autistic Children . The British Journal of Social Work, 53(3), 1445-1464. Oxford University Press (OUP).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac229 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4321371598
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  11. Vasiliki Kentrou , Lucy A Livingston , Rachel Grove , Rosa A. Hoekstra , Sander Begeer (2024). Perceived misdiagnosis of psychiatric conditions in autistic adults . eClinicalMedicine, 71, 102586. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102586 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4393965431
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  13. Julia N. Daniels (2019). Disabled Mothering? Outlawed, Overlooked and Severely Prohibited: Interrogating Ableism in Motherhood . Social Inclusion, 7(1), 114-123. Cogitatio.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.17645/si.v7i1.1551 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2912618994
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  14. Alexandra Sturm , Sijia Huang , Vanessa Bal , Ben Schwartzman (2024). Psychometric exploration of the RAADS-R with autistic adults: Implications for research and clinical practice . Autism, 28(9), 2334. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/13623613241228329 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4391485102
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  15. Laura Hull , K.V. Petrides , Carrie T. Allison , P. Smith , Simon Baron-Cohen , Meng-Chuan Lai et al. (2017). "Putting on my best normal": social camouflaging in adults with autism spectrum conditions . J. Autism Dev. Disord., 47(8), 2519. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3166-5 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2616560149
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  16. Michelle Berger , Eric Asaba , Mandana Fallahpour , Lisette Farias (2022). The sociocultural shaping of mothers’ doing, being, becoming and belonging after returning to work . Journal of Occupational Science, 29(1), 7-20. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/14427591.2020.1845226 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3106007626
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  17. A. L. Pohl , S. K. Crockford , M. Blakemore , Carrie T. Allison , Simon Baron-Cohen (2020). A comparative study of autistic and non-autistic women’s experience of motherhood . Molecular Autism, 11(1), 3. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1186/s13229-019-0304-2 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3000239743
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  18. Steve Gillard , Rhiannon Foster , Sarah Gibson , Lucy Goldsmith , Jacqueline Marks , Sarah White (2017). Describing a principles-based approach to developing and evaluating peer worker roles as peer support moves into mainstream mental health services . Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 21(3), 133-143. Emerald.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1108/mhsi-03-2017-0016 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2621725619
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  19. Tricia Williamson , Danielle L Wagstaff , Jane Goodwin , Naomi Smith (2023). Mothering Ideology: A Qualitative Exploration of Mothers’ Perceptions of Navigating Motherhood Pressures and Partner Relationships . Sex Roles, 88(1-2), 101-117. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s11199-022-01345-7 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4311976505
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  20. Susanna Crowson , Daniel Poole , Kelly Scargill , Megan Freeth (2024). Understanding the post-diagnostic support priorities of autistic adults in the United Kingdom: A co-produced modified Delphi study . Autism, 28(4), 854-865. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/13623613231196805 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4387210032
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  21. Catherine D. Tan (2018). I’m a normal autistic person, not an abnormal neurotypical”: autism spectrum disorder diagnosis as biographical illumination . Soc Sci Med, 197, 161-167. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.12.008 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2774655211
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  22. Kate Seers , Rachel C Hogg (2021). ‘You don’t look autistic’: A qualitative exploration of women’s experiences of being the ‘autistic other’ . Autism, 25(6), 1553-1564. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1362361321993722 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3136332810
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  23. Amber-Sophie Dugdale , Andrew R. Thompson , Alexandra Leedham , Nigel Beail , Megan Freeth (2021). Intense connection and love: The experiences of autistic mothers . Autism, 25(7), 1973-1984. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/13623613211005987 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3154030996
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  24. Finbar Horgan , Neil Kenny , Paula Flynn (2023). A systematic review of the experiences of autistic young people enrolled in mainstream second-level (post-primary) schools . Autism, 27(2), 526-538. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/13623613221105089 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4283526793
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  25. Craig Goodall (2018). ‘I felt closed in and like I couldn’t breathe’: A qualitative study exploring the mainstream educational experiences of autistic young people . Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 3, 239694151880440. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/2396941518804407 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2894153791
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  27. Simone Smit , Jeremy Hopper (2023). Love, Joy, and a Lens of Childhood Trauma: Exploring Factors That Impact the Mental Health and Well-Being of Autistic Parents via Iterative Phenomenological Analysis . Autism in Adulthood, 5(1), 63-75. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1089/aut.2021.0101 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4296703617
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  28. Moyna Catherine Talcer , Orla Duffy , Katy Pedlow (2023). A Qualitative Exploration into the Sensory Experiences of Autistic Mothers . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 53(2), 834-849. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05188-1 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3182387516
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  29. Dawn Adams , Madeline Stainsby , Jessica Paynter (2021). Autistic Mothers of Autistic Children: A Preliminary Study in an Under-Researched Area . Autism in Adulthood, 3(4), 339-346. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1089/aut.2020.0078 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3154093069
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  30. Sanchez, Paula (2023). 'Against the norm' mothering: A reflexive thematic analysis of autistic motherhood . London Southbank University. London South Bank University.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.18744/lsbu.95443 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W6888488895
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  31. Jane Mantzalas , Amanda Richdale , Cheryl Dissanayake (2022). A conceptual model of risk and protective factors for autistic burnout . Autism Research, 15(6), 976-987. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/aur.2722 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4223610474
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  33. Ginny Russell , Will Mandy , Daisy Elliott , Rhianna White , Tom Pittwood , Tamsin Ford (2019). Selection bias on intellectual ability in autism research: a cross-sectional review and meta-analysis . Molecular Autism, 10(1), 9. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1186/s13229-019-0260-x OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2927010782
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  34. Sarah Griffiths , Carrie T. Allison , Rebecca Kenny , R. J. Holt , P. Smith , Simon Baron-Cohen (2019). The Vulnerability Experiences Quotient (VEQ): A Study of Vulnerability, Mental Health and Life Satisfaction in Autistic Adults . Autism Research, 12(10), 1516-1528. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/aur.2162 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2949176131
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  36. Ashleigh Hillier , Nicholas Gallop , Eva Mendes , Dylan Tellez , Abigail Buckingham , Afreen Nizami et al. (2020). LGBTQ + and autism spectrum disorder: Experiences and challenges . International Journal of Transgender Health, 21(1), 98-110. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/15532739.2019.1594484 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2941421950
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  38. Alexandra Leedham , Andrew R. Thompson , Richard Smith , Megan Freeth (2020). ‘I was exhausted trying to figure it out’: The experiences of females receiving an autism diagnosis in middle to late adulthood . Autism, 24(1), 135-146. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1362361319853442 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2947577397
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  43. Keren MacLennan , Sarah O’Brien * , T. Tavassoli (2022). In Our Own Words: The Complex Sensory Experiences of Autistic Adults . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52(7), 3061-3075. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05186-3 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3164037704
    AutiHub · Autistic Autism Scholarship Project Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  44. Virginia Braun , Victoria Clarke (2021). One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis? Qualitative Research in Psychology, 18(3), 328-352. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/14780887.2020.1769238 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3048560297
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  47. Laura Foran Lewis , Caroline Ward , Noah Jarvis , Eleni Cawley (2021). “Straight Sex is Complicated Enough!”: The Lived Experiences of Autistics Who are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Asexual, or Other Sexual Orientations . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51(7), 2324-2337. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04696-w OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3087986735
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  49. Laura Crane , Lok Man Lui , Jade Davies , Elizabeth Pellicano (2021). Autistic parents’ views and experiences of talking about autism with their autistic children . Autism, 25(4), 1161-1167. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1362361320981317 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3120478003
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  53. Farzana Sutcliffe-Khan , Fionnuala Larkin , Lorna G. Hamilton (2024). Parents’ and professionals’ views on autistic motherhood using a participatory research design . Current Psychology, 43(25), 21792-21807. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s12144-024-05999-2 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4394958637
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  55. Kirsten Corden , Rebecca Brewer , Eilidh Cage (2021). Personal identity after an autism diagnosis: relationships with self-esteem, mental wellbeing, and diagnostic timing . Front Psychol, 12, 699335-699335. Frontiers Media SA.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.699335 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3161811598
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  56. Julie Holliday Wayne , Maura J. Mills , Yi-Ren Wang , Russell A. Matthews , Marilyn V. Whitman (2023). Who’s Remembering to Buy the Eggs? The Meaning, Measurement, and Implications of Invisible Family Load . Journal of Business and Psychology, 38(6), 1159-1184. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10869-023-09887-7 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4381280037
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  59. Alice Turnock , Kate Langley , Catherine RG Jones (2022). Understanding stigma in autism: a narrative review and theoretical model . Autism Adulthood, 4(1), 76. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1089/aut.2021.0005 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4214570045
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  60. Gayle L. Overton , Ferran Marsà-Sambola , Rachael Martin , Penny Cavenagh (2024). Understanding the Self-identification of Autism in Adults: a Scoping Review . Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 11(4), 682-702. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s40489-023-00361-x OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4323360123
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  61. Miriam Harmens , Felicity Sedgewick , Hannah Hobson (2022). Autistic women’s diagnostic experiences: Interactions with identity and impacts on well-being . Women's Health, 18, 477. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/17455057221137477 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4309363025
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  62. Hays S (1996). The Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood . The Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  64. Julia Wrigley , Sharon Hays (1997). The Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood . Contemporary Sociology, 26(4), 484. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.2307/2655113 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4298286589
    OpenAlex