Exploring challenges and support structures of mothers with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the United Arab Emirates.
Expat mothers in UAE battle info gaps and school hurdles, but peer groups give them real relief.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Lamba et al. (2022) talked with expat mothers living in the United Arab Emirates. All mothers had a child with autism.
The team used open interviews to learn how mothers find services and what helps them cope.
What they found
Mothers said the hardest parts were getting clear diagnosis information and finding a school seat.
They felt happier and stronger when they met other mothers in the same boat. Peer groups were their top support.
How this fits with other research
Wallace-Watkin et al. (2023) pooled 18 studies and saw the same barriers: scarce info, few services, and stigma. The UAE stories sit inside this bigger picture.
McIntyre et al. (2017) surveyed Kuwaiti mothers and also found that family plus group support predicted better life enjoyment. The UAE finding repeats this Gulf pattern.
Mohamed et al. (2024) asked UAE fathers, not mothers, and found fathers welcome training too. Together the papers show both parents want help, so programs should invite moms and dads.
Why it matters
You can ease the intake maze. Hand parents a short roadmap that lists who gives the diagnosis, who handles school placement, and where the next peer meet-up is. One sheet can cut the confusion these mothers faced.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Mothers with children with ASD, often being primary caregivers, experience high levels of parenting stress and hold essential information about their children's wellbeing. There is however lack of information about their experiences in the UAE. AIMS: The study aims to explore challenges and support structures of mothers with children with ASD in the UAE. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: 17 expat mothers (Age range = 33-58 years) with a child with ASD were interviewed about their experiences with diagnoses, therapeutic interventions, support networks, and the pandemic. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Thematic analysis showed that initially most mothers struggled with accessing information to seek correct diagnoses, admission in mainstream international schools with typically developing children, and finding appropriate therapeutic services. Several mothers narrated experiences of not receiving optimum support from their partners, feeling rejected from extended family members, and facing hardships during the pandemic. Majority however appeared to be extremely satisfied with support groups where they felt heard and exchanged experience-based information crucial for children's wellbeing. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Findings highlight the need for the government to facilitate centralized channels of information for expat parents with children with developmental disabilities, formalizing more support groups for mothers in the UAE, and increasing knowledge about autism to decrease biases.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2022 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104138