Exploring the Experiences of Bangladeshi Parents Whose Children Have Been Diagnosed with Autism

This research sought to explore the subjective experiences of Bangladeshi parents of a child with a diagnosis of autism. The study was underpinned by a social constructivist research perspective, an exploratory design and a narrative methodology. Unstructured interviews were used with five Bangladeshi participants who were asked to share their experiences and perceptions. Participants’ interviews were ‘restoryed’ using Clandinin & Connelly’s (2000) Three-Dimensional Framework. This offered a rich and in-depth insight into parental experiences. In the second phase of analysis, narrative themes and sub-themes that featured across parental stories were discussed.
The findings indicate that participants are not only navigating and making sense of their child’s diagnosis themselves but also facilitating the understanding of extended family members. Participants employed multiple and varied explanatory models that suited their context. Not having a word in Bengali for autism was a barrier to sharing the diagnosis with Bengali speaking family members; in addition, the variation in the presentation of autism also created mistrust in the label. The lack of intergenerational understanding was identified by participants as a key barrier, however, all participants expressed a desire for raising awareness in the Bengali community and saw this as a way to address perceived difficulties. Having a child with a diagnosis of autism required all participants to advocate for their child in the domestic sphere, sometimes challenging culturally expected roles in the wider family and school context.
The research illustrates the complexity of experiences associated with being a Bangladeshi parent of a child with autism. The thesis concludes by discussing the implications for Educational Psychology practice.