All disabilities are not created equally: stigma associated with parenting an autistic child who behaves aggressively

Autism is an area of substantial investigation within the domain of developmental disability research. The impact of parenting an autistic child is an area of less focus. Although autism and co-occurring aggression have been identified within this research area, the misunderstandings surrounding this phenomenon and the subsequent stigma experienced by parents is relatively unexplored. The aim of this thesis was to describe the experience of parenting an autistic child with co-occurring aggressive behaviours, and to identify any associated stigma these parents were experiencing. This thesis specifically focused on the parenting experience of 11–18-year-old children using a qualitative method. It set out to identify and understand what types of stigmas were being experienced and how this impacted the parents both positively and negatively. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), utilising semi-structured interview techniques, investigated the experience of a) parenting a child diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome/high-functioning autism (see disclaimer)/autism level 1 with aggressive behaviours; and b) parenting a child with aggressive behaviours diagnosed with autistic disorder/autism level 2 and 3. IPA allowed for a comprehensive investigation of this phenomenon. Parents of autistic children diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome/high-functioning autism/autism level 1 provided rich data that was interpreted as experiencing felt stigma (fear of rejection or shame), enacted stigma (overt discrimination or rejection), structural stigma (when laws, policies, and programmes are biased and discriminate), self-stigma (blaming self), and courtesy stigma (stigma by association). One participant whose child was diagnosed as autistic, level 2, also experienced these types of stigmas. The interpreted experience for those in the autism level 3 group was that only courtesy stigma was experienced. Poor understanding around the causes of aggression in autistic individuals appeared to be the major catalyst for stigma. This thesis suggests that a better understanding about the underlying causes of aggressive behaviour related to autism will inform investment in support services and purpose-built educational settings, which hopefully reduce stigma and improve quality of life for autistic children and their parents.