Perspectives of mothers with developmental disabilities : the same dreams, the same goals, the same disappointments
Date
2000
Authors
Fells, Kelly
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Abstract
There is a limited literature base with regards to families headed by parents with developmental disabilities, and even less on the subjective experiences of mothers with developmental disabilities. Therefore, policy and program development are largely grounded in 'outsider' information. Using an ethnographical inquiry as a guide, this study examined how mothers with developmental disabilities make sense of their parenting roles. The goal was to understand what these parents identified as key issues, and whether their experiences and understanding of the parenting roles were ontologically based. Two participants were individually interviewed and the transcribed interviews, along with field notes were analyzed for relevant themes. Two key factors relevant to understanding the standpoint of mothers with developmental disabilities were identified:
1. The ways in which parents with developmental disabilities make sense of their parenting role seem to be shaped by societal norms and cultural expectations, therefore it is not surprising that their experiences as parents parallel those of the dominant culture. However, society ' s institutions insist on making mothers with developmental disabilities different by virtue of their disability and imposing different standards, for example, to receive service they must have an IQ score that falls below the norm, rather than an assessment of individual parenting skills.
2. In addition to individual and familial characteristics, parenting is affected by the systemic influences of social, economic and educational environments, including the inter-related themes of poverty, literacy and life skills training. This thesis concludes by examining the implications of the participants' perspectives for program delivery and suggesting areas for further research.