Représentations parentales suite au diagnostic d’autisme : entre l’ici et le monde tamoul

Abstract

This qualitative and cross-cultural study explores the experiences of Tamil parents living in France following the diagnostic disclosure of autism in their child. Understanding parental representations related to the diagnosis is seen as a crucial component of therapeutic work. Nine families followed in a mental health center called Centre Médicopsychologique were interviewed through semi-structured sessions with an interpreter, using the McGill Illness Narrative Interview method. The findings were analyzed through an interpretative phenomenological approach and are organized into three key themes: a progressive confrontation with the disorder, evolving from initial concern to a process of appropriation and a search for support within the Tamil autism parent community; a subjective reflection on the disorder, shaped by etiological questions; a dynamic mindset reflecting a drive to act, where parents express a need for concrete strategies to support their child.