Mothers of Children with Disabilities: Occupational Concerns and Solutions

Abstract

Mothers of children with disabilities have identified multiple challenges associated with achieving occupational balance in their lives. Occupational therapists are just beginning to explore the occupational and time use strategies that mothers use to successfully care for their children and get through the day in a positive manner. The Person—Environment—Occupation model was used to guide an occupational therapy intervention program called “Project Bien Estar,” which was designed to increase the satisfaction, time use, and occupational performance of mothers of school-aged children with disabilities. This article focuses on the rich content of the group discussions and individual reflections, providing insight into the world of women caring for children with disabilities. Thematic analysis was used to identify person, environment, and occupation factors that contribute positively and negatively to the mothers' well-being, and the effects of the occupational therapy intervention are discussed.

Occupational performance goals of mothers of adolescents with disabilities and mothers of adolescents with typical development

“…These results align with maternal occupational goals in samples that had younger children with disabilities (Kuhaneck, Burroughs, Wright, Lemanczyk, & Darragh, 2010;McGuire, Crowe, Law, & VanLeit, 2004). For example, Donovan et al (2005) Despite many similarities, there were some key differences that highlight the distinct nature of raising an adolescent with a disability.…”

“…The emphasis placed by mothers of adolescents with disabilities on basic self-care needs and time with their husbands resonates with a study by Reid et al (2011), in which parents of young adults with cerebral palsy referred to parenting as a sort of "balancing act" between caring for their adolescent, taking care of themselves, and making time for their relationships with spouses. Similar difficulties with not having enough time for sleep, leisure occupations, or to spend with their husbands has been noted previously (Donovan et al, 2005;McGuire et al, 2004).…”

What is considered important for life balance? Similarities and differences among some working adults

“…This finding, i.e. that others' well-being affects one's life balance, might be an implicit justification for studies conducted by occupational therapists among relatives (25)(26)(27)(28)(29).…”

Mothering Occupations When Parenting Children with Feeding Concerns: A Mixed Methods Study

“…Much of the interview data indicated a focus on meeting the overall daily needs of children and families. This in turn was supported by literature that discussed the idea that mothers of children with disabilities are working to figure out the occupations associated with mothering but also those associated with mothering a child with special needs (Green, 2007;McGuire et al, 2004;Nelson, 2002).…”