Stories of Competence, Challenges, and Coping: The Experiences of Australian Autistic People During Pregnancy and Early Parenthood

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

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Love, A., Cai, R. Y., Rideout, B., Hollenberg, L., Clapham, H., Wiltshire, G. E., Edwards, C., Robinson, A., Benzie, C., & gibbs, v. (2026). Stories of Competence, Challenges, and Coping: The Experiences of Australian Autistic People During Pregnancy and Early Parenthood. Autism in Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1177/25739581251359894

Journal or book title
Autism in Adulthood
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Article number
25739581251359894
Publication date: 2 Feb 2026 Added to AutiHub: 5 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) OpenAlex source

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
10
Publication authors identified as autistic
4 / 10 (40.0%)
  1. Abigail Love
  2. Ru Ying Cai
  3. Bronwyn Rideout
  4. Linda Hollenberg
  5. Hayley Clapham *
  1. Gilly-Elle Wiltshire *
  2. Chris Edwards *
  3. Ainslie Robinson *
  4. Charlie Benzie
  5. vicki gibbs

Abstract

Background: Autistic people often face significant challenges in navigating health care systems, particularly during the vulnerable perinatal period. Many report inadequate care, feeling misunderstood, and being unsupported in addressing their health needs. We explored the pregnancy and early parenthood experiences of Autistic individuals in Australia, addressing the unique health care barriers they may face. Methods: To address the study aims, we interviewed 19 Autistic participants living in Australia about their pregnancy and early parenthood experiences. We conducted interviews using multiple modes, including written responses, virtual meetings, or phone calls to ensure accessibility. We analyzed the data using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: We constructed four key themes from the data. The first theme, “Pregnancy was good for me,” reflected feelings of body positivity and empowerment during pregnancy. Theme 2, “Hyperfocus as an understatement,” illustrated participants’ intense desire to gather information on every aspect of pregnancy and parenthood, which both facilitated and hindered their well-being. The third theme, “Lost in the system,” described the social drain caused by unpredictable health care interactions. The final theme, “Making things work for me,” detailed the coping mechanisms and strategies participants used to manage the demands of pregnancy and early parenthood. Conclusions: Our findings amplify the stories of competence and empowerment among Autistic parents, highlighting their experiences of resilience and agency in navigating these life transitions. It acknowledges the positive aspects of Autistic parenthood, which are often overlooked in research, and seeks to enhance the evidence base to inform health care practices that better meet the needs of Autistic parents. Importantly, these findings have broader implications for improving health care in other areas where Autistic people face similar challenges. By focusing on the localized experiences within Australia’s health infrastructure, this research provides insights that contribute to more effective inclusive health care interventions, ensuring that Autistic individuals receive the support they need during these critical life stages.

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 17:07.

Cited references
41
With a DOI
41
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
0
14 / 41 (34.1%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
2 / 41 (4.9%)
References with detected author names
39 / 41 (95.1%)
Without detected author names
2
Without a structured title
2
Without a stable identifier
0
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
2
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
160
From DOI or external metadata
160
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
85 / 160 (53.1%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 75 / 160 (46.9%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
29 / 160 (18.1%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 29 / 85 (34.1%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 20 / 132 (15.2%).
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