“From cause to cure”: A qualitative study on contemporary forms of mother blaming experienced by mothers of young children with autism spectrum disorder

ABSTRACT

In the past, the behaviours and personalities of mothers have been identified as potential causes of autism. More recently, other etiological hypotheses have been used to explain autism spectrum disorder, suggesting that this specific type of mother-blaming is now uncommon. However, some authors have pointed out that mothers are still being held responsible for their children’s condition and behaviours, as they are now expected to extensively promote their children’s development. The present article explores contemporary forms of mother-blaming experienced by thirteen mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder. The results are discussed in relation to the consequences of mother-blaming, such as social isolation and health related problems. It is hoped that this article will encourage social workers and professionals to understand the mothers’ perspectives and to recognize the importance of supporting them without generating or increasing mother-blaming.

KEYWORDS:

• Blame
• care
• disabilities
• early intervention
• parent s experience

Acknowledgments

The research has received the approval of the Institutional Ethics Committee for Research Involving Humans Subjects of the University of Quebec at Montreal. No.: 061516. The authors would like to thank Geneviève LaRoche for reviewing this article. Most of all, the authors would like to thank all the mothers who have shared their experience with us.

Funding

This research was supported by research grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and Fonds de recherche Société et Culture (FQRSC).

Notes

1. For example, Edward Strecker, in the context of the Cold War era, wrote about “mom tyranny” and its terrible effects on the child’s development, drawing a parallel with totalitarian politics (communism and fascism) and their threat to the American individualism (Terry, 1998).

2. A fictional name has been assigned to each participant to preserve her anonymity.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by research grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and Fonds de recherche Société et Culture (FQRSC).