“THE HIDDEN FATHER” – THE PRESENCE-ABSENCE OF THE PATERNAL FIGURE AND THE EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES AT THE INTERSECTION OF AUTISM, FAMILY, AND SCHOOL
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56238/arev7n10-219Keywords:
Fatherhood, Autism, Paternal Absence, School InclusionAbstract
The paternal figure often occupies a silenced place in family and educational narratives about autism, configured as a presence-absence that permeates affective experiences, bonds, and the dynamics of school inclusion. Historically, the care of autistic children has been associated with the mother, while the father has remained on the margins of educational and clinical discourse, rendered invisible by traditional gender roles and the emotional structure of families facing the diagnosis. However, the father’s symbolic or practical absence has a profound impact on the child’s socio-emotional development and on the relationships established between family and school. In this context, it becomes urgent to understand how fatherhood manifests – or fails to manifest – in the process of emotional and educational support for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The object of this article is to analyze the presence-absence of the paternal figure in the emotional and educational trajectory of autistic children, exploring the consequences of this dynamic for family bonds and inclusive practices. The guiding question of this research is: how does paternal presence-absence influence the emotional experiences and educational process of children with autism at the interface between family and school? Theoretically, the study draws on the works of Bourdieu (1989; 2012; 2022), Passeron (1992), Freire (1992; 2014; 2014; 2014), Winnicott (1964; 1975; 1988; 1990; 1999; 2005; 2021; 2025), Lacan (2001; 2017), Badinter (1985; 2011), Zoja (2001), Machin (2018), Holland (2012), hooks (2003; 2004; 2009; 2018), Armstrong (1998; 2010; 2012), Werneck (1997), Scheuermann and Webber (2008), Boyd (2013), Kranowitz (2006), Naseef (2012), Grinker (2008), Suskind (2014), Isaacson (2009), Collins (2009), Mont (2001), Fields-Meyer (2011), Robison (2013), Lehmann (2009), among others. The research is qualitative (Minayo, 2008), descriptive and bibliographical (Gil, 2008), with an analytical-comprehensive approach (Weber, 1949). The findings indicate that emotional paternal absence, even in cases of physical presence, significantly affects the affective and educational development of autistic children, increasing maternal overload and weakening the connection between family and school. It was observed that a father’s sensitive involvement contributes to the child’s autonomy and socialization, strengthens family partnerships, and promotes more humanized inclusive practices. The study also reveals that schools tend to reproduce maternal centrality, neglecting the educational potential of fatherhood. The reconstruction of paternal presence, therefore, proves essential for an inclusion that unites affection, shared responsibility, and gender equity.
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