The Process of Becoming the Mother of developmental handicapped children : Changes in Mothers and Related Persons after the “diagnosis”

We studied on mothers with children with “diagnosis” of developmental disorders aiming for clarifying the changes in mothers and surroundings due to the “diagnosis” and analyzed 20 mothers’ voices whose children had developmental disabilities with the semi-structured interview in three perspectives. “Discomfort towards child and isolation of mother and child” had voices about discomfort towards child’s behavior and peculiarity on maintaining the relationship with others, which led to the situation that mother and child are excluded from the relationship circle of mothers and children in same generation, resulting closer mother-to-child relationship and mother and child isolation. “Become mothers of disabled children upon the “diagnosis”” told the “diagnosis” gave hopes for finding ways to communicate with the children since mothers were released from remorse claiming their child-rearing had made their children under “something is strange” condition, while the “diagnosis” generated additional confusion. “Mother’s responsibility for giving a birth of disabled children” told responsibility for child’s behavior treated as a problem between parents and child or husband and wife with words from relatives, friends and experts was turned by “diagnosis” to mother’s responsibility for having “disabled child” along with the changes in surroundings’ eyes to “Mother of disabled child”