Divergent Perceptions of Autistic Parents Among Health Care, Social Care, and Judicial Professionals and Autistic Adults: A Participatory Study
Lacroix, A., Vallet, W., Lai, M. C., Langloys, D., Pignard, M., Brunelin, J., Dubreucq, M., & Demily, C. (2026). Divergent Perceptions of Autistic Parents Among Health Care, Social Care, and Judicial Professionals and Autistic Adults: A Participatory Study. Autism in Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1177/25739581261457376
This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:
Authors
Abstract
Background: Autistic people can and do become parents, yet they often feel misunderstood. They fear being judged on their parenting abilities by professionals from health care, social care, and even judicial systems, including the risk of unwarranted and disproportionate child protection investigations or interventions. Despite these concerns being frequently reported qualitatively, they have not been investigated with quantitative data. Methods: Using a participatory research framework, we co-constructed a clinical vignette and a set of questionnaire items in collaboration with autistic parents to ensure that the materials reflected their lived concerns and priorities. Professionals from health care, social, educational, judicial, and allied health fields, as well as autistic adults, were invited to complete the survey. We compared their perceptions of a fictional autistic mother, before and after diagnostic disclosure, as well as their views on professional competency regarding autism. Results: Although professionals do not hold overtly negative views, their perspectives diverge from those of autistic adults. Professionals perceived the fictional mother with high autistic traits more negatively than did autistic adults before knowing the diagnosis. In addition, judicial, medical, and paramedical professionals were less likely to identify autism than autistic adults. However, participants reported that diagnostic disclosure was somewhat reassuring and decreased their concerns about the mother’s psychological needs. Professionals rated their own competency in autism higher than autistic adults did when evaluating the professionals, although most professionals reported needing further training. Conclusion: These results provide support for autistic parents’ concerns about stigma. Divergent perspectives between professionals and autistic adults may be partly explained by a “double empathy problem,” where autistic and non-autistic individuals do not share the same reference frame for behavior. The findings underscore the importance of targeted training on autistic parenthood for all professionals, particularly those with minimal prior autism-specific training, to reduce bias and improve understanding.
Bibliography cited by this reference
Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.
Bibliography inclusion overview
These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:31.
-
Gary B. Mesibov , Victoria Shea , Eric Schopler , Lynn Adams , Elif Merkler , Sloane Burgess et al. (2004). The Culture of Autism . In The Teacch Approach to Autism Spectrum Disorders (pp. 19-32). Springer US.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Sandra Thom-Jones *Autistic author. Learn more… , Charlotte Brownlow , Susan Abel (2026). Experiences of Autistic Parents, from Conception to Raising Adult Children: A Systematic Review of the Literature . Autism in Adulthood, 8(3), 284-304. SAGE Publications.
-
Damian Milton *Autistic author. Learn more… (2012). On the ontological status of autism: the ‘double empathy problem’ . Disability & Society, 27(6), 883-887. Informa UK Limited.
-
Winnie Yu Pow Lau , Candida C. Peterson , Tony Attwood , Michelle S. Garnett , Adrian B. Kelly (2016). Parents on the autism continuum: Links with parenting efficacy . Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 26, 57-64. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Rami Benbenishty , Bilha Davidson-Arad , Mónica López , John Devaney , Trevor Spratt , Carien Koopmans et al. (2015). Decision making in child protection: An international comparative study on maltreatment substantiation, risk assessment and interventions recommendations, and the role of professionals’ child welfare attitudes . Child Abuse & Neglect, 49, 63-75. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Winnie Lau , Candida C. Peterson (2011). Adults and children with Asperger syndrome: Exploring adult attachment style, marital satisfaction and satisfaction with parenthood . Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5(1), 392-399. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Maryse Pagnier , Mona Moualla (2026). The Autistic Parenting Journey: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Evidence and Thematic Meta-Synthesis . Autism in Adulthood, 8(4), 571-592. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Gwynnyth Llewellyn , Gabrielle Hindmarsh (2015). Parents with Intellectual Disability in a Population Context . Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 2(2), 119-126. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex
-
A. L. Pohl , S. K. Crockford , M. Blakemore , Carrie 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.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Tim Booth , Wendy Booth (2005). Parents with learning difficulties in the child protection system . Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 9(2), 109-129. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Amanda A. Webster , Susanne Garvis (2017). The importance of critical life moments: An explorative study of successful women with autism spectrum disorder . Autism, 21(6), 670-677. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Kalpna Shah (2001). What Do Medical Students Know about Autism? Autism, 5(2), 127-133. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Melanie Heyworth *Autistic author. Learn more… , Simon Brett , Jacquiline den Houting *Autistic author. Learn more… , Iliana Magiati , Robyn Steward *Autistic author. Learn more… , Anna Urbanowicz et al. (2023). “I'm the Family Ringmaster and Juggler”: Autistic Parents' Experiences of Parenting During the COVID-19 Pandemic . Autism in Adulthood, 5(1), 24-36. SAGE Publications.
-
Nili E. Major , Georgina Peacock , Wendy Ruben , Jana Thomas , Carol C. Weitzman (2013). Autism Training in Pediatric Residency: Evaluation of a Case-Based Curriculum . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(5), 1171-1177. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Lorena Ramos-Serrano , Irene Garcia-Molina (2025). “I Am Their Haven”: Mothering Experiences of Spanish Autistic Mothers . Neurodiversity, 3. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Carolina L. Balazs , Rachel Morello-Frosch (2013). The Three Rs: How Community-Based Participatory Research Strengthens the Rigor, Relevance, and Reach of Science . Environmental Justice, 6(1), 9-16. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
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.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Christina Nicolaidis , Dora M Raymaker *Autistic author. Learn more… , Katherine McDonald , Sebastian Dern , Elesia Ashkenazy *Autistic author. Learn more… , W. Cody Boisclair *Autistic author. Learn more… et al. (2011). Collaboration Strategies in Nontraditional Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships: Lessons From an Academic–Community Partnership With Autistic Self-Advocates . Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 5(2), 143-150. Project MUSE.
-
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.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Laura Crane , James W Chester , Lorna Goddard , Lucy A Henry , Elisabeth L. Hill (2016). Experiences of autism diagnosis: A survey of over 1000 parents in the United Kingdom . Autism, 20(2), 153-162. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Irene Garcia-Molina , Mónica Cortés-Calvo (2025). “Until I Had My Son, I Did Not Realise That These Characteristics Could Be Due to Autism”: Motherhood and Family Experiences of Spanish Autistic Mothers . Autism in Adulthood, 7(3), 303-311. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Patricia G. Devine (1989). Stereotypes and prejudice: Their automatic and controlled components. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56(1), 5-18. American Psychological Association (APA).Crossref OpenAlex
-
Daniel L. Wechsler , Emily J.H. Jones , Greg Pasco , Tessel Bazelmans , Jannath Begum‐Ali , Mark H. Johnson et al. (2025). Parent–child similarity on autism and ADHD traits and children's social functioning and psychological well‐being at 3 years . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 66(12), 1818-1828. Wiley.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Marcia Gardner , Patricia D. Suplee , Joan Bloch , Karen Lecks (2016). Exploratory Study of Childbearing Experiences of Women with Asperger Syndrome . Nursing for Women's Health, 20(1), 28-37. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Agnes Higgins , Teresa Tuohy , Rebecca Murphy , Cecily Begley (2016). Mothers with mental health problems: Contrasting experiences of support within maternity services in the Republic of Ireland . Midwifery, 36, 28-34. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Cath Rogers , Laurence Lepherd , Rahul Ganguly , Sebastian Jacob-Rogers (2017). Perinatal issues for women with high functioning autism spectrum disorder . Women and Birth, 30(2), e89-e95. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Sarah Hampton , Carrie Allison , Ezra Aydin , Simon Baron-Cohen , Rosemary Holt (2022). Autistic mothers’ perinatal well-being and parenting styles . Autism, 26(7), 1805-1820. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Karola Dillenburger , Lyn McKerr , Julie-Ann Jordan , Mickey Keenan (2016). Staff Training in Autism: The One-Eyed Wo/Man… . International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(7), 716. MDPI AG.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Sarah Radev *Autistic author. Learn more… , Megan Freeth , Andrew R. Thompson (2024). How healthcare systems are experienced by autistic adults in the United Kingdom: A meta-ethnography . Autism, 28(9), 2166-2178. SAGE Publications.
-
Sarah Radev *Autistic author. Learn more… , Megan Freeth , Andrew R. Thompson (2024). ‘I’m not just being difficult... I’m finding it difficult’: A qualitative approach to understanding experiences of autistic parents when interacting with statutory services regarding their autistic child . Autism, 28(6), 1394-1404. SAGE Publications.
-
Jan Tøssebro , Turid Midjo , Veronika Paulsen , Berit Berg (2017). Prevalence, Trends and Custody Among Children of Parents with Intellectual Disabilities in Norway . Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 30(3), 533-542. Wiley.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Sebastian Charles Keith Shaw *Autistic author. Learn more… , Laura Carravallah *Autistic author. Learn more… , Mona Johnson *Autistic author. Learn more… , Jane O’Sullivan , Nicholas Chown *Autistic author. Learn more… , Stuart Neilson et al. (2024). Barriers to healthcare and a ‘triple empathy problem’ may lead to adverse outcomes for autistic adults: A qualitative study . Autism, 28(7), 1746-1757. SAGE Publications.
-
Marine Dubreucq , Mathilde Thiollier , Sarah Tebeka , Pierre Fourneret , Marion Leboyer , Sylvie Viaux-Savelon et al. (2023). Toward recovery-oriented perinatal healthcare: A participatory qualitative exploration of persons with lived experience and health providers’ views and experiences . European Psychiatry, 66(1), e86-e86. Royal College of Psychiatrists.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Kristen Gillespie-Lynch , Steven K. Kapp *Autistic author. Learn more… , Patricia J. Brooks , Jonathan Pickens , Ben Schwartzman (2017). Whose Expertise Is It? Evidence for Autistic Adults as Critical Autism Experts . Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 438-438. Frontiers Media SA.
-
Aimee Grant *Autistic author. Learn more… , Sarah Turner , Sebastian Charles Keith Shaw *Autistic author. Learn more… , Kathryn Williams *Autistic author. Learn more… , Hayley Morgan , Rebecca Ellis *Autistic author. Learn more… et al. (2024). “I am afraid of being treated badly if I show it”: A cross-sectional study of healthcare accessibility and Autism Health Passports among UK Autistic adults . PLOS ONE, 19(5), e0303873. Public Library of Science (PLoS).
-
Jolynn L. Haney , Jennifer A. Cullen (2018). An exploratory investigation of social workers’ knowledge and attitudes about autism . Social Work in Mental Health, 16(2), 201-222. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Sandy Thompson-Hodgetts , Chantal Labonte , Rinita Mazumder , Shanon Phelan (2020). Helpful or harmful? A scoping review of perceptions and outcomes of autism diagnostic disclosure to others . Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 77, 101598. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Sharyn DeZelar , Elizabeth Lightfoot (2018). Use of parental disability as a removal reason for children in foster care in the U.S. Children and Youth Services Review, 86, 128-134. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Jane Donovan , Beth Desaretz Chiatti , Amy McKeever , Joan Rosen Bloch , Maureen Sullivan Gonzales , Yosefa Birati (2023). “Yes, I can bond.” Reflections of autistic women’s mothering experiences in the early postpartum period . Women's Health, 19, 17455057231175312-17455057231175312. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Kate Theodore , Daniel Foulds , Paul Wilshaw , Alison Colborne , Joyce Nga Yu Lee , Lisa Mallaghan et al. (2018). ‘We want to be parents like everybody else’: stories of parents with learning disabilities . International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 64(3), 184-194. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Golnaz Ghaderi , Shelley L. Watson (2019). “In Medical School, You Get Far More Training on Medical Stuff than Developmental Stuff”: Perspectives on ASD from Ontario Physicians . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(2), 683-691. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Elspeth M. Slayter , Jordan Jensen (2019). Parents with intellectual disabilities in the child protection system . Children and Youth Services Review, 98, 297-304. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Rae Morris , Andrea Greenblatt , Michael Saini (2019). Healthcare Providers’ Experiences with Autism: A Scoping Review . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(6), 2374-2388. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Christina Nicolaidis (2019). What Does Inclusion Mean in Research and Scholarship on Autism in Adulthood? Autism in Adulthood, 1(2), 79-81. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Anna Urbanowicz , Timothy Parkin , Kate van Dooren , Sonya Girdler , Marina Ciccarelli , Nicholas Lennox (2020). The experiences, views, and needs of health professionals who provide care to adults on the autism spectrum . Research and Practice in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 7(2), 179-192. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex
-
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).Crossref OpenAlex
-
Mylène Legault *Autistic author. Learn more… , Jean-Nicolas Bourdon , Pierre Poirier (2021). From neurodiversity to neurodivergence: the role of epistemic and cognitive marginalization . Synthese, 199(5-6), 12843-12868. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
-
Desiree R. Jones , Kilee M. DeBrabander , Noah J. Sasson (2021). Effects of autism acceptance training on explicit and implicit biases toward autism . Autism, 25(5), 1246-1261. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Jerry Norlin , Eva Randell (2023). Social workers’ perceptions of assessing the parental capacity of parents with intellectual disabilities in child protection investigations . Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 27(4), 976-993. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Irene Gómez-Marí , Pilar Sanz-Cervera , Raúl Tárraga-Mínguez (2021). Teachers’ Knowledge Regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Systematic Review . Sustainability, 13(9), 5097. MDPI AG.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Kirsten Corden , Rebecca Brewer , Eilidh Cage (2022). A Systematic Review of Healthcare Professionals’ Knowledge, Self-Efficacy and Attitudes Towards Working with Autistic People . Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 9(3), 386-399. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Javad Alaghband-rad , Maryam Ardeshir , Elham Hakki Kazazi , Mahtab Motamed (2023). Adult autism spectrum disorder: knowledge, attitude and practice of health system professionals . The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, 18(3), 185-194. Emerald.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Silke Lipinski *Autistic author. Learn more… , Katharina Boegl , Elisabeth S. Blanke , Ulrike Suenkel , Isabel Dziobek (2022). A blind spot in mental healthcare? Psychotherapists lack education and expertise for the support of adults on the autism spectrum . Autism, 26(6), 1509-1521. SAGE Publications.
-
Rosaria Ferrara , Giuseppe Campagna , Pasquale Ricci , Felice Damato , Lidia Ricci , Leonardo Iovino et al. (2024). Developmental Psychology and Healthcare Professions: Autism Knowledge Among Nurses: An Observational Study . Clinics and Practice, 14(6), 2693-2704. MDPI AG.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Jinan Zeidan , Éric Fombonne , Julie Scorah , Alaa T. Ibrahim , Maureen S. Durkin , Shekhar Saxena et al. (2022). Global prevalence of autism: A systematic review update . Autism Research, 15(5), 778-790. Wiley.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Lauren Clarke , Lawrence K. Fung (2022). The impact of autism-related training programs on physician knowledge, self-efficacy, and practice behavior: A systematic review . Autism, 26(7), 1626-1640. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Pierre-Guillaume PRIGENT , Gwénola SUEUR (2024). Smoke and mirrors: how the theory of “parental alienation” concealed domestic abuse and coercive control in France . Trayectorias Humanas Trascontinentales. Universite de Limoges.Crossref OpenAlex
-
R Core Team (2025). R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing . R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Philip Heslop , Matthew Bushell (2023). Reporting Findings from an Exploratory Study of Social Workers’ Perceptions about autism Training . The British Journal of Social Work, 53(6), 3218-3236. Oxford University Press (OUP).Crossref OpenAlex
-
David Ekdahl (2024). The double empathy problem and the problem of empathy: neurodiversifying phenomenology . Disability & Society, 39(10), 2588-2610. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Syed Fahad Javaid , Ibrahim Jawad Hashim , Muhammad Jawad Hashim , Emmanuel Stip , Mohammed Abdul Samad , Alia Al Ahbabi (2023). Epidemiology of anxiety disorders: global burden and sociodemographic associations . Middle East Current Psychiatry, 30(1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Christian Tewes (2024). Reconsidering the Double Empathy Problem: A source of exclusion and stigmatisation of autistic persons . Phenomenology and Mind, 27, 126. Lexis srl.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Cheryl L. Dickter , Joshua A. Burk (2026). Implicit and Explicit Attitudes Toward Autistic Individuals: A Review . Autism in Adulthood. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Nesdale D (1998). Implicit and Explicit Mental Processes . Implicit and Explicit Mental Processes.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Sheena K. Au‐Yeung , Megan Freeth , Andrew R. Thompson (2025). ‘Am I gonna regret this?’: The experiences of diagnostic disclosure in autistic adults . Autism, 29(8), 2181-2192. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Elisabeth Øverland , Per Normann Andersen , Erik Winther Skogli , Åshild Lappegard Hauge , Elizabeth Pellicano (2025). “One must think autism in everything one does”: Clinicians’ Experiences of Supporting Autistic Patients . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Corrigan P (2002). Understanding the impact of stigma on people with mental illness . World Psychiatry, 1(1), 16.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Adeline Lacroix *Autistic author. Learn more… , Chih-Chen Tzang , Jiakun Yu , Benjamin Koshy Jacob , Mishel Alexandrovsky *Autistic author. Learn more… , Anna Winge-Breen et al. (2026). Disproportionate mental health risks in autistic females: A rapid review with quantitative and narrative syntheses . Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 80, 101229. Elsevier BV.