Oumar, Zahra;
(2022)
‘I had never heard of autism before’: The experiences of East African immigrant parents of autistic children in the UK.
Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).
Abstract
There is limited research examining the experiences of families with children with disabilities from culturally diverse communities. Accordingly, the thesis seeks to explore how parents’ experiences of having a disabled child are influenced by the intersection of culture in the UK context specifically. The systematic literature review explores the perceptions and experiences of culturally diverse parents of children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) living in the UK. 11 studies highlighting the voices of 104 parents from a range of cultural backgrounds were critically evaluated and synthesised thematically. Three broad themes emerged, these were ‘knowledge and understanding’, ‘stigma’ and ‘barriers to support’. Parents wanted to be advocates for their children, however, they found it challenging to navigate a system that they often did not understand and/or found difficult to access. In addition, they had to come to terms with an IDD that they were previously unaware of whilst dealing with unhelpful family and community input. Implications for educational psychology (EP) and professional practice are provided with a need for greater service accessibility and culturally service support highlighted. Existing research suggests autism is highest amongst children from black ethnic groups in England, as well as those from some migrant communities who live in western countries. Despite the growing East African immigrant population in the UK very little is known about their experiences. The empirical paper sought to close the gap in the literature by exploring how East African immigrant parents come to understand their child’s autism whilst also exploring their experiences of accessing support and of educational psychology (EP) involvement. 8 parents were recruited and interviewed. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to guide the data collection and analysis process. 4 overarching themes were identified highlighting the importance of providing psychoeducation about autism to East African communities, providing clarity about the role of the EP and empowering and guiding parents to access available support and services. The key recommendations for EP practice are considered e.g. providing clarity about the role of the EP and signposting parents to appropriate services and support.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Ed.Psy |
| Title: | ‘I had never heard of autism before’: The experiences of East African immigrant parents of autistic children in the UK |
| Language: | English |
| UCL classification: | UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10152444 |
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