« Cela m’a montré à quel point je suis capable de choses » : une exploration des expériences d’épuisement autistique dans la maternité

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

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

Date de publication: 28/11/2024 Ajout dans AutiHub: 06/07/2026 Type: Article Langue de l’article: Anglais

Cette publication est intégrée dans AutiHub via :

Auteurs

Auteur·ices des publications
3
Auteur·ices de la publication identifié·es comme autistes
2 / 3 (66,7 %)

Résumé

Contexte : La recherche a mis en évidence une relation entre la maternité autistique et l’épuisement autistique, bien que les expériences d’épuisement autistique des mères autistes n’aient pas été explorées en profondeur. Méthode : Afin de combler cette lacune de la recherche, nous avons utilisé une approche participative et une méthodologie qualitative dans le but de comprendre : (1) comment les mères autistes vivent l’épuisement autistique en lien avec leur rôle parental et (2) de quel soutien elles ont besoin pour le prévenir et s’en rétablir. Nous avons recruté 13 mères autistes par l’intermédiaire des réseaux sociaux pour participer à un entretien semi-structuré en ligne. Nous avons analysé ces entretiens au moyen d’une analyse thématique réflexive inductive. Résultats : Nous avons élaboré quatre thèmes principaux. Le thème 1, « Épuisement », porte sur les facteurs contribuant à l’épuisement autistique. Le thème 2, « Il faut simplement se lever et continuer », montre comment les mères autistes ont continué à prendre soin de leurs enfants et à entretenir leurs relations avec eux tout en vivant un épuisement autistique. Le thème 3, « Nouvelles prises de conscience », révèle comment l’épuisement autistique a influencé la compréhension de soi et la conscience de soi des mères autistes. Le thème 4, « Nous avons aussi besoin de soutien », examine la disponibilité et l’accessibilité du soutien pour les mères autistes ainsi que leurs expériences ultérieures de celui-ci. Les résultats soulignent que les difficultés des mères autistes associées à leur épuisement autistique sont aggravées par un manque d’acceptation et de compréhension de l’autisme de la part des autres, bien qu’elles aient estimé que l’épuisement n’avait pas eu d’incidence sur leur capacité parentale. Conclusions : Nous formulons plusieurs recommandations visant à améliorer les résultats pour les mères autistes, notamment la nécessité d’accroître les formations dirigées par des personnes autistes destinées aux professionnels, ainsi que de développer des services formels de soutien par les pairs dirigés par des personnes autistes et des groupes communautaires. Résumé communautaire : Nos résultats approfondissent la compréhension des caractéristiques uniques de l’épuisement autistique et contribuent à une base de données probantes croissante qui souligne la nécessité de réseaux de soutien communautaire autistique disposant de ressources adéquates. Ces réseaux offrent une compréhension de l’intérieur et un soutien émotionnel, mais dépendent souvent de membres de la communauté épuisés. Nous suggérons qu’un meilleur soutien comprendrait à la fois une aide professionnelle, fournie par des professionnels bien formés possédant une solide connaissance de l’épuisement autistique, et les connaissances de la communauté, afin d’assurer un soutien plus durable et plus efficace aux personnes autistes.

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.

Bibliographie citée par cette référence

Les références citées sont importées depuis des sources externes de métadonnées lorsqu’elles sont disponibles. La liste peut être partielle.

Vue d’ensemble de l’inclusion dans la bibliographie

Ces indicateurs décrivent la bibliographie citée importée pour cette publication. Les métriques de références citées utilisent le total des références citées comme dénominateur. Les métriques d’auteurices cité·es indiquent si elles utilisent toutes les occurrences d’auteurices cité·es ou seulement les occurrences rattachées à des auteurices déjà intégré·es à la base de données AutiHub. Ils utilisent les rattachements mis en cache entre les auteurices cité·es et les auteurices intégré·es à la base de données AutiHub. Dernier calcul : 16/08/2026 11:31.

Références citées
65
Nombre total de références citées intégrées pour cette publication.
Références citées avec un·e auteur·ice identifié·e comme autiste
13 / 65 (20,0 %)
Occurrences d’auteur·ices cité·es identifié·es comme autistes
22 / 250 (8,8 %)
Parmi les occurrences rattachées à des auteurices intégré·es à la base de données AutiHub : 22 / 124 (17,7 %). Auteurices cité·es distinct·es identifié·es comme autistes : 17 / 216 (7,9 %).
Occurrences citées rattachées à la base AutiHub
124 / 250 (49,6 %)
Auteurices cité·es distinct·es rattaché·es : 92 / 216 (42,6 %)
Occurrences rattachées, non identifiées comme autistes
102 / 124 (82,3 %)
Parmi les seules occurrences rattachées. Sur l’ensemble des occurrences d’auteurices cité·es : 102 / 250 (40,8 %). Auteurices cité·es distinct·es rattaché·es, non identifié·es comme autistes : 75 / 92 (81,5 %).
1 entrée de bibliographie citée n’a pas pu être entièrement enrichie à partir des métadonnées DOI.
Crossref: introuvable (1)
  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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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).
    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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  9. Sue Wilkinson , Celia Kitzinger (2013). Representing Our Own Experience . Psychology of Women Quarterly, 37(2), 251-255. SAGE Publications.
    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).
    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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  12. Julia N. Daniels (2019). Disabled Mothering? Outlawed, Overlooked and Severely Prohibited: Interrogating Ableism in Motherhood . Social Inclusion, 7(1), 114-123. Cogitatio.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  13. 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), 2334-2345. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  14. Laura Hull , K. V. Petrides , Carrie Allison , Paula Smith , Simon Baron-Cohen , Meng-Chuan Lai et al. (2017). “Putting on My Best Normal”: Social Camouflaging in Adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(8), 2519-2534. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  15. 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  16. 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 OpenCitations
  17. 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  18. 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  19. 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  20. Catherine D. Tan (2018). “I'm a normal autistic person, not an abnormal neurotypical”: Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis as biographical illumination . Social Science & Medicine, 197, 161-167. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  21. 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  22. 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 OpenCitations
  23. 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  24. 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  25. 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  26. 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  27. 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  28. 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: introuvable
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  29. Jane Mantzalas , Amanda L. 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
  30. Lesley Kimber , Diarmuid Verrier , Stephen Connolly (2024). Autistic People's Experience of Empathy and the Autistic Empathy Deficit Narrative . Autism in Adulthood, 6(3), 321-330. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  31. 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  32. Sarah Griffiths , Carrie Allison , Rebecca Kenny , Rosemary Holt , Paula 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
  33. 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  34. 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  35. Sarah Hampton , Joyce Man , Carrie Allison , Ezra Aydin , Simon Baron-Cohen , Rosemary Holt (2022). A qualitative exploration of autistic mothers’ experiences II: Childbirth and postnatal experiences . Autism, 26(5), 1165-1175. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  36. Romy Hume , Henry Burgess (2021). “I'm Human After All”: Autism, Trauma, and Affective Empathy . Autism in Adulthood, 3(3), 221-229. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  37. Keren MacLennan , Sinéad O’Brien , Teresa 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  38. 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  39. 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  40. 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 OpenCitations
  41. Eloise Stark , Dorota Ali , Annalise Ayre , Naomi Schneider , Sophia Parveen , Keith Marais et al. (2021). Coproduction with Autistic Adults: Reflections from the Authentistic Research Collective . Autism in Adulthood, 3(2), 195-203. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  42. Farzana Sutcliffe-Khan , Fionnuala Larkin , Lorna 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  43. Jane Mantzalas , Amanda L. Richdale , Achini Adikari , Jennifer Lowe , Cheryl Dissanayake (2022). What Is Autistic Burnout? A Thematic Analysis of Posts on Two Online Platforms . Autism in Adulthood, 4(1), 52-65. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  44. Kirsten Corden , Rebecca Brewer , Eilidh Cage (2021). Personal Identity After an Autism Diagnosis: Relationships With Self-Esteem, Mental Wellbeing, and Diagnostic Timing . Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 699335-699335. Frontiers Media SA.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  45. 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  46. Katherine Gore , Susan Hayward , Rebecca L. Flower , Melissa Gilbert , Josephine Barbaro (2024). “Maybe No One Knows We Need Help”: Understanding the Experiences of Autistic Working Mothers in Australia . Autism in Adulthood, 6(1), 47-59. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  47. Jasmine Phung , Melanie Penner , Clémentine Pirlot , Christie Welch (2021). What I Wish You Knew: Insights on Burnout, Inertia, Meltdown, and Shutdown From Autistic Youth . Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 741421-741421. Frontiers Media SA.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  48. Alice Turnock , Kate Langley , Catherine R.G. Jones (2022). Understanding Stigma in Autism: A Narrative Review and Theoretical Model . Autism in Adulthood, 4(1), 76-91. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  49. 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.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  50. Miriam Harmens , Felicity Sedgewick , Hannah Hobson (2022). Autistic women’s diagnostic experiences: Interactions with identity and impacts on well-being . Women's Health, 18, 17455057221137477-17455057221137477. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  51. Hays S (1996). The Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood . The Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood.
    Type: Autre
    Crossref
  52. 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