Family Financial Management and Care Economy: Challenges of Families of Children with ASD

Abstract

This study analyzed how families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) reorganize their finances and daily routines in response to the costs of specialized treatments. A qualitative, descriptive-exploratory case study was conducted with 13 mothers of children with ASD through semi-structured interviews, and the data were analyzed using content analysis. The findings indicate that the high costs of therapies, combined with limitations in public policies, compromise family budgets, reduce mothers' participation in the labor market, and increase economic and emotional vulnerability. To ensure continuity of treatment, families adopt financial planning strategies, expenditure control, routine reorganization, and the mobilization of support networks. The study concludes that, in this context, family financial management is characterized by a permanent management of scarcity, strongly shaped by the care economy and the effectiveness of public policies, contributing to the debate in the field of Business Administration.