知的障がい児をもつ母親の内的変容 : 母子関係に着目して

Abstract

This study considers how mothers of children with mental retardation waver through bringing up and living with their children. The participants in this study were eight mothers whose children had intellectual disabilities, including autistic disorder, and were registered at special support education schools. The data collected were based on semi-structured interviews and reports in which the participants recorded impressive communication of a day. The interview was conducted twice per a participant. The data were analyzed using the Modified Grounded Theory Approach. The resalts indicated that the mothers acquired affirmative maternal feelings through attempts to sense the distance with their child, and through the growth of mothers and children. As a result, the mother-child relationship became stable and they could maintain a flexible relation with their child. Moreover, this will lead to taking steps forward in the life of the child and the mother will provide the room for their own life again.