Summary: New research highlights the specific challenges and needs of autistic women who are mothers or who wish to become mothers. The study reveals frequent late diagnoses, often only after a child is diagnosed, and a lack of awareness and tailored support among family members and health professionals. Participants reported heightened sensory sensitivities, anxiety, and intensified emotional experiences during pregnancy and parenting. The findings point to the need for adapted health protocols, better-trained professionals, and stronger social and family support to improve outcomes for autistic mothers and their families.
This article summarizes findings from a study led by Universitat Jaume I that collected first-person accounts from Spanish autistic women about motherhood and family life. The research underscores gaps in recognition, care, and understanding of autism in adult women within the Spanish context, and it calls for more individualized, informed support from pregnancy through parenting.
Key Facts:
- Delayed diagnosis: Many autistic women only received an autism diagnosis after their child or another family member was diagnosed.
- Emotional and sensory amplification: Pregnancy, childbirth and parenting often intensified sensory sensitivities and anxiety for participants, affecting daily life and relationships.
- Support gaps: There is a shortage of healthcare professionals with up-to-date knowledge of autism in adult women, and hospital protocols are not consistently adapted for pregnant autistic women.
Source: Universitat Jaume I
The study, titled “Until I had my son, I did not realise that these characteristics could be due to autism: motherhood and family experiences of Spanish autistic mothers,” was authored by Irene García Molina (lecturer and researcher) and Mónica Cortés Calvo (Master’s student in Family Intervention and Mediation). Using a qualitative approach, the researchers interviewed nine Spanish autistic women — seven mothers and two who plan to become mothers — aged 29 to 58. Participants answered open-ended questions about pregnancy, childbirth, parenting and couple relationships, and their responses were analyzed thematically to identify common experiences and needs.
Participants were recruited through five major autism foundations in Spain. Their accounts converged on several themes: lack of recognition of autism in adult women, the central role of the nuclear family (partner and children) in diagnosis and acceptance, and the strong influence of sensory processing differences and anxiety on daily life, relationships and parenting tasks.
Many interviewees reported that their autism diagnosis came only after an autistic child or relative received a diagnosis. In some cases, family members initially questioned the mother’s concerns, even suggesting she sought attention, which delayed recognition and support. A positive relationship with a partner and supportive family environment proved important in helping women accept their diagnosis and navigate parenting with greater confidence.
Sensory reactivity was a recurring concern: heightened sensitivity to sound, touch, light, or crowded environments affected experiences from pregnancy and labor to breastfeeding and routine childcare. Anxiety amplified these challenges, influencing intimate relationships and the emotional demands of raising children. Participants explained that these intensified sensory and emotional experiences often went unrecognized by health professionals, which limited access to appropriate accommodations during prenatal care and childbirth.
The researchers emphasize the need for collaborative work involving autistic women, family members and health professionals to identify priorities and design personalized care pathways. Adapting hospital protocols, improving professional training on autism in adult women, and strengthening family support networks are practical steps that could ease the transition to motherhood and improve wellbeing for autistic mothers and their children.
Although the sample size is small and not representative of all autistic mothers in Spain, these qualitative findings provide valuable starting points for future, larger-scale studies. The research team notes a scarcity of prior studies focusing specifically on Spanish autistic women and their motherhood experiences; existing research often centers on children or originates in countries with different cultural contexts.
This project, “Autistic mothers: pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and parenting,” received funding from the Social Commitment Award of Santander Bank and Universitat Jaume I of Castelló in 2022. Professor García Molina, a member of the DEVELOP research group (Development and Educational Contexts), continues work on the topic with a focus on autistic mothers and their families, as well as health professionals in the Castelló region.
About this autism and motherhood research news
Author: Mari Luz Blanco Burgueño
Source: Universitat Jaume I
Contact: Mari Luz Blanco Burgueño – Universitat Jaume I
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original research: Closed access. Study title: Until I had my son, I did not realise that these characteristics could be due to autism: motherhood and family experiences of Spanish autistic mothers by Irene García-Molina et al., published in the journal Autism in Adulthood. DOI and publisher information are part of the original citation.
Abstract
Until I had my son, I did not realise that these characteristics could be due to autism: motherhood and family experiences of Spanish autistic mothers
Background:
There is limited knowledge about the experiences of autistic women as mothers and about their family relationships. Few qualitative studies give autistic mothers and prospective mothers the opportunity to describe their lived experiences. This study analyzes the motherhood experiences of Spanish autistic women from their own perspectives.
Methods:
Nine autistic women responded to open-ended interview questions and described their experiences of maternity and family life either orally or in writing. Researchers performed a qualitative thematic analysis on the collected data.
Results:
Four primary themes emerged: (1) many mothers received their autism diagnosis only after their child or a close relative was diagnosed; (2) the importance of the nuclear family—partner and children—in diagnosis, acceptance and daily support; (3) the role of sensory processing differences in shared life with a partner and in raising children; and (4) the impact of anxiety on relationships and parenting. Participants reported that sensory and emotional intensities affected experiences across pregnancy, birth, intimacy and childcare.
Conclusions:
The study highlights the need for greater awareness of autism traits in mothers and improved training for health professionals in Spain. Better-informed families and clinicians can provide more individualized care from pregnancy through parenting, helping autistic mothers and their children thrive.