Surveying Autistic Mothers About Their Parenting Practices Related to Children’s Early Language Development

Abstract

Background:

There is substantial literature on neurotypical mothers’ parenting practices and beliefs. Researchers find that certain parenting practices, such as use of infant-directed speech (IDS or “motherese”) and shared book reading, promote children’s language development. However, little is known about parenting practices among autistic mothers. In this study, we examine autistic mothers’ communicative interactions and parenting practices with their infants and young children using both quantitative and qualitative approaches.

Methods:

Thirty-three mothers who self-identified as having autism participated in the study and completed a survey. Ten of these mothers helped to develop the survey. To further understand the mothers’ responses, we conducted one-on-one interviews with a subsample of our participants.

Results:

Only 44% of the autistic mothers indicated using IDS with their children—a rate that is lower than what has been reported in samples of neurotypical mothers. On the contrary, over half of mothers (58%) read to their children 10 or more times a week, and all read at least 3–4 times. Furthermore, most mothers were confident in their ability to engage in literacy activities with their children.

Conclusion:

Our findings show that autistic mothers interact with their children in similar and different ways than neurotypical mothers. The results enhance our understanding of various parenting behaviors among autistic mothers and challenge the prevailing notion that IDS is universal. Research that uncovers autistic parents’ parenting behaviors and views will help us support autistic mothers’ parenting styles and their children’s learning and development.

Community Brief

Why is this an important issue?

There is substantial research on neurotypical parenting practices that support children’s early language development. For example, research shows that using infant-directed speech (IDS), or acoustically exaggerated, clear, and higher-pitched speech (also known as “motherese”), with infants promotes language learning, as does reading books frequently with young children. Research about autism tends to focus on autistic children. There is a large gap in the research when it comes to addressing the needs of autistic mothers. It is important to uncover the parenting practices, challenges, and strengths of autistic mothers so that we can identify strategies to better support their parenting styles while promoting their children’s development.

What was the purpose of this study?

The purpose of the current study was to survey autistic mothers about their communicative interactions and parenting practices with their infants and young children. Our goal was to better understand their strengths and challenges related to parenting and their role in promoting their children’s language development.

What did the researchers do?

We collaborated with a small group of autistic mothers to develop a questionnaire about parenting practices related to children’s language development. We administered the questionnaire to 33 mothers who identify as autistic. Some of the mothers (n = 17) chose to complete the survey as an interview rather than doing it online. For these mothers, we asked follow-up questions as to “why” they chose certain responses. Those responses were analyzed qualitatively.

What were the results of the study?

Fewer than half of the autistic mothers used motherese with their children when they were infants—a rate that is lower than neurotypical mothers. The mothers provided reasons for not using motherese that indicated they consciously chose not to use it, or it did not feel natural to do so. On the contrary, over half of the autistic mothers read to their children 10 or more times a week, and all read at least 3–4 times. Most mothers found shared book reading enjoyable and were confident in their ability to read with their children.

How do these findings add to what was already known?

Our findings add to our understanding of parenting behaviors among autistic mothers, for example, challenging the prevailing notion that motherese is universal.

What are potential weaknesses in the study?

We relied on the mothers’ reports of their activities with their children rather than observations, and we recruited a relatively small sample of only mothers and not fathers. We encourage future work with larger samples and broader methods.

How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?

The natural parenting approaches of autistic mothers are important to understand, as it may be more relevant for autistic children than the practices of neurotypical mothers. Autistic mothers’ lived experiences can make them particularly useful sources of information about how to successfully engage with autistic children. Through engaging autistic parents to understand their parenting practices and challenges, we can better identify ways to support autistic parents’ parenting styles and their children’s learning and development.