"No one could calm him down": Mothers' experience of autism diagnosis and obtainment of resources in an urban public school district.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of accessing autism diagnosis and resources in a Midwest urban public school district for diverse mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder. Method: We employed thematic analysis using narrative inquiry methodology to analyze the data from 9 mothers (n = 5 African American, n = 2 Hispanic, and n = 2 White) who participated in a focus group. Results: Three themes were identified by the researchers: (a) late medical diagnosis (subthemes: problems that parents didn't perceive as signs of autism spectrum disorder, making comparisons to other siblings or children), (b) negative communication experiences (subthemes: husband and wife, parent and educational professionals), and (c) coping strategies (subthemes: resources, prayer). Discussion: The mothers' narratives indicated a strong need for advocacy and parent-school partnership. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).