“The Foundation of Education Begins at Home”: Educational Perceptions of Mothers of Autistic Children

• In Event: Family and Community Supports for Individuals With Disabilities

Abstract

This presentation explores the educational perspectives of Latine mothers caring for autistic children. The purpose is to understand how mothers perceive their role as participants in the educational system in comparison to educators and educational actors. Through semi-structured interviews of 10 mothers, line-by-line analysis is used to understand the educationally engaging perceptions of Latine mothers. The findings defined mothers' perceptions of themselves as members of a family and the role they enacted as caretakers for their autistic child(ren) and provided a look into how mothers differentiate their roles from other educators, educational systems, and families. Through examining definitions of education and family, and key instances of differentiation, one gains further insight into how mothers conceptualized parenting and education.

Author

• Jessica Miguel, University of New Mexico