"It was like walking without knowing where I was going": A Qualitative Study of Autism in a UK Somali Migrant Community.

Increasing recognition of autism in Somali migrant communities means that appropriate support services are needed. Attitudes to autism and barriers related to help-seeking in these communities are poorly understood. We aimed to assess what families affected by autism need, and how health, education and social care services can support them. In partnership with the local Somali community the research team conducted 15 in-depth interviews with parents affected by autism. Two themes are reported; 'Perceptions of Autism' and 'Navigating the System'. Our research shows the importance of understanding cultural views of autism and the need to raise awareness, reduce stigma and provide support to encourage families not to delay seeking help for their children.
Competing Interests: Fiona Fox declares that she has no conflict of interest. Nura Aabe declares that she has no conflict of interest. Katrina Turner declares that she has no conflict of interest. Sabi Redwood declares that she has no conflict of interest. Dheeraj Rai declares that he has no conflict of interest. Ethical Approval All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Ethical permission for this study was obtained from the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Research Ethics Committee, University of Bristol. Informed Consent Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.