Living with children with autistic spectrum disorder: Unveiling the meanings of the being-there-mother

Abstract

Objective: To unveil the human experiences of mothers who coexist with children affected by the autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method: A qualitative research based on Heideggerian phenomenology, with data collected through a phenomenological interview among 14 women/mothers, from January to March 2016. Results: The mothers expressed that the coexistence led to learning, changes as human beings, and the search to know everything about autism; as well as not being able to work due to the care the child requires, feeling excluded and overloaded. Conclusion: The reach of the existential movement of the being-there-mother in the coexistence with the son affected by ASD allowed to understand changes, demands, and burdens on women who, inauthentically, were engaged in the routine of care of their children. Getting worried with the fact they should offer all they could, they felt distant from the care with themselves and from their social and family relations. Similarly, due to the fragility of their social support network, they became bio-psycho-social-spiritually vulnerable.