Life experiences of mothers with children with autism

Aim: The aim of this study, which examines the life experiences of mothers with autistic children, is to understand the life experiences of mothers with autistic children and to offer solutions to the problems faced by mothers in their lives. Method: Within the scope of the study, in order to evaluate the life experiences of mothers with autistic children, the thoughts and experiences of the mothers on the subject were used, and the qualitative research model and phenomenological approach were used in accordance with the purpose and context of the research. Snowball sampling method was used by interviewing 25 mothers in the study group. In accordance with the purpose of the study, a semi-structured interview form, which is one of the types of in-depth interview technique, which is one of the data collection techniques, was used. The semi-structured interview form consists of two parts. The first part consists of questions containing sociodemographic information. In the second part, it consists of interview questions and is prepared for the purpose of the research. It consists of 15 questions in total. The data were analyzed by descriptive analysis method. Results: In the study, it was observed that the mothers did not have information about the diagnosis of autism, and they noticed the symptoms related to the diagnosis in their children before the age of 2 in general. It has been observed that the child has psychological problems in the process after the diagnosis. It has been determined that mothers have economic problems in diagnosis, treatment and education processes. It was observed that mothers did not receive sufficient support from their spouses in the process of diagnosis and also had problems with the social environment. It has been determined that mothers have problems with the care of the child in their domestic lives. It has been determined that they do not have sufficient knowledge about social support and social assistance. It has been stated that most of the mothers do not have expectations about the future of their children. Conclusion: As a result of the research; It has been observed that mothers with children with ASD have many problems in their daily life practice.