The story behind the story...

The personal meets the professional in A Thousand Worries", as Dr. Jeannine Dingus-Eason describes her study examining Black autism mothers at the intersection of race, class, gender, and ability. Black Autism Mothers was founded by Dingus-Eason, a dedicated mother who understands the daily, emotional, and mental challenges that come with raising Black autistic children. Her passion for helping other mothers navigate the autism spectrum drove her to write and publish her book, "A Thousand Worries: Black Women Mothering Autistic Sons."

Dingus-Eason, along with participating mothers, share narratives of mothering autistic sons, a journey that began when her son Caleb was diagnosed at the age of three. From that time, Dingus-Eason sought out other Black mothers for support. What she found instead were other Black autism mothers with similar feelings of isolation and exclusion from a larger autism community encompassing families, researchers, and service providers. Dingus-Eason remained undeterred and began her study of Black autism mothers. Driven by her own experiences, she wanted to know more about how Black women parented autistic sons in light of challenges faced by Black males including police brutality, adultification, and overrepresentation in special education classrooms.

Her research journey spanned several years with outreach to Black autism mothers (BAMs) in four states. Throughout data collection, Dingus-Eason found common themes across BAMs with sons ranging from early childhood to adulthood. Readers will learn about BAMs' strategies to ensure their sons live whole lives with society recognizing their personhood. BAMs shared heartwarming, insightful, and touching stories that illuminate how mothers parent at the intersection of race, class, gender, and autism.