Abstract
Objective: To analyze how family members take care of children with autism. Method: This is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study, conducted at the Center for Psychosocial Care for children and adolescents, in the interior of Bahia. Nine relatives of autistic children participated in this study in 2018. The collection used an interview and the results were evaluated by Content Analysis. Results: Maternal overload was evident in this context, as the routine is stressful, high demand for care, such as routine, feeding, specialized stimulation, attention in other social environments and situations involving dependence on children, abdication of social and professional life, linked to the lack of support from the children's parents. Conclusions: After confirmation of autism, the family experiences a variety of feelings, there are changes in relationships and, on larger scales, predisposition to social stigma, a factor that ends up limiting the child's autonomy and social / professional experience of the mother who takes care of the child.