Background: Immigrant and racialized families raising children on the autism spectrum in Canada navigate intersecting inequities shaped by racism, language barriers, immigration status, and fragmented health and education systems. Yet their perspectives remain underrepresented in autism and health policy research. Methods: Guided by the socioecological and critical social science lens, this community-based participatory study employed a PhotoVoice approach in partnership with SMILE Canada–Support Services. Ten immigrant and/or racialized family caregivers from the Greater Toronto area participated in four in-person sessions involving ethical training, guided photo-taking, group-based reflections, and collaborative theme refinement. The data included 38 participant-generated photographs, narratives, and an audio-recorded final group discussion. Results: Seven interrelated themes were identified: (1) family support and child needs; (2) physical and emotional burden on caregivers; (3) school support or its missingness; (4) stigma and discrimination; (5) overall journey with barriers; (6) transitions and uncertainty; and (7) two sides of a coin: isolation and strength, loneliness and hope. Caregivers highlighted extensive invisible labor, exclusionary schooling, financial and systemic barriers, and cumulative stress. Simultaneously, they articulated resilience, mutual support, and a strong sense of collective responsibility. The PhotoVoice process itself was experienced as validating, unifying, and empowering, with participants expressing readiness to disseminate findings through exhibitions, school boards, universities, and policy-engagement initiatives. Conclusions: Caregiving among immigrant and racialized families is both a profound act of love and a site of structural injustice. Centering on caregivers as co-researchers and knowledge holders reveals urgent needs for equity-oriented autism policies and culturally responsive, accessible support systems in Canada.
Sam et al. (Tue,) studied this question.