Problem:
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Purpose of the Study The goal of this qualitative case study is to understand the experiences that African American single mothers face when raising children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as the barriers they face when trying to access diagnosis, school services, healthcare, and community support. The study will further understand how race, socioeconomic status, and single parenthood impact the lived experiences of those families. Qualitative case study was selected because the study seeks to gain a holistic and rich understanding of the phenomenon as it exists in the real world from the perspective of those who experience it (Creswell & Poth, 2018; Yin, 2018). Literature demonstrates that children who identify as Black or African American and are diagnosed with ASD have longer lengths of time before diagnosis and decreased accessibility to services; families experience various social and systemic injustices (Davis et al., 2025; Wallace- Watkins et al., 2023). Participants will be recruited using purposive sampling to allow 10-15 African American single mothers to participate in the study. Data will be gathered using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021). Member checking, audit trail, and reflexive journaling will be used to ensure trustworthiness of results.
Research Questions:
RQ1: What are African American single mothers' experiences like when raising children with autism spectrum disorder? Need Assignment Help?
RQ2: What barriers do African American single mothers experience when accessing autism-specific services? RQ3: How do African American single mothers perceive their own resilience and advocacy when raising a child with ASD?