Caring for A Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Metaphor Study

It aims to explore the language used by women about their experiences of caring for their child with autism spectrum disorder through metaphor, and to provide a valuable source of insight for midwives and other clinicians.

The study was a prospective qualitative study with a phenomenological approach based on semi-structured, individual and in-depth interviews and observations of the participants. Data saturation was achieved after 11 participants were interviewed. Data were collected in a private clinic between January and May 2024.

This metaphor analysis revealed ten metaphors that mothers used to describe their experience of caring for their child with an autistic spectrum disorder. These metaphors were described as a treasure, a maze, a boat trip, a tangled knot, a newly discovered planet, a late bearing tree, a mountaintop, a new day, an alien and a newly sprouted flower.

In conclusion, paying attention to the metaphors that women with children on the autistic spectrum use to describe their caring situation can provide midwives and other clinicians with rich insights into understanding women.