自閉症是終其一生無法痊癒的發展性疾病，目前國內多著重自閉症患者的早期療癒，較少了解青少年或成年之後的自閉症患者，且因主要照顧者多為母親，促使本研究者想以母親為研究主體，深入了解母親於自閉症患者進入青春期之後，所面臨的需求、壓力、與照顧歷程。
本研究以民族誌為研究方法，過程中於母親家中進行深度訪談，並陪伴母親參與照顧孩子的日常活動以及家庭聯絡簿等內容進行資料的蒐集，進入田野共七個月的時間，結果呈現分為三個部分：一、以故事性方式描繪七位母親的生活背景；二、以主題的方式來呈現母親對孩子進入青少年特殊議題的描繪；三、根據在田野中對母親的了解後，以母親看待自己與孩子的方式為主軸，描繪母親在照顧自閉症青少年的過程中，如何與外在整個文化與社會價值互動，突破外在與內心的枷鎖，找到看待自己與孩子的方式。
在強調以家庭為中心的概念下，照顧者於長期照護中所面臨的衝擊，亦是護理不可忽略的部分。因此，本研究結果可對自閉症青少年母親的照顧體驗有所認識與了解，做為護理人員臨床實務參考，提供更貼近個案需求的介入措施。

Autism is an incurable and developing disease during one’s entire life. However, from literature review, there is less literature related to adolescent or adult with autism and mother is the main caregiver. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the care-giving experience of those mothers with autistic adolescents.
We applied ethnography approach in this study. Data were gathered from in-depth interviews, participant observations, and school assignment notebooks. It took about seven months to collect related data. The results present three parts: (1) describing those mothers’ life experience by their narratives, (2) presenting special issues which mothers concerned, and (3) describing how mothers interact with culture and social values and overcome obstacles to find out the suitable way for treating their children and themselves as well.
Based on the concept of family center, the impact of caregivers they faced can’t be neglect. The results could help us to understand the care-giving experience of mothers with autistic adolescents and provide appropriate interventions for their families.

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