The impact of childhood autism spectrum disorder on parent's labour force participation: Can parents be expected to be able to re-join the labour force?

Sasson et al. (2018) asked one blunt question: do moms of kids with autism leave the workforce once the child hits school age?

They ran a large survey and held family income, education, and child age constant. This let them isolate autism itself as the reason for quitting work.

Mothers of school-age children with ASD had double the chance of being out of work compared with other moms.

The gap showed up after kindergarten entry and stayed, even when moms had college degrees.

Davy et al. (2022) pull together dozens of papers and show the same pattern: autism care eats parents’ work and leisure time. Their scoping review includes the 2018 numbers you just read, so there is no clash—only a wider lens.

Dyches et al. (2016) point to a fix. In their survey, single moms who used respite care enjoyed more “daily uplifts” and felt less depressed. Less depression can make holding a job easier, so respite may slow the workforce exit J et al. documented.

Lee et al. (2023) add a day-to-day layer. They tracked moms in real time and found poor sleep wrecked next-day mood and parenting patience. Tired moms may quit jobs simply because they cannot stay awake, tying sleep support to employment hopes.

If the mother has already left work, expect daytime availability but also watch for money stress and fatigue. Offer morning sessions when energy is higher. Build respite or sleep-hygiene goals into the behavior plan—insurance may fund these under parent training. When you schedule parent meetings, remember the family may rely on one income; keep travel demands low and offer telehealth. In short, treat workforce reality as part of the treatment context, not a side issue.