Experiences of Mothers Accompanying Children Requiring Medical Care at Special Needs Schools

Abstract

Objective: This study explored the experiences of mothers accompanying children requiring medical care at special needs schools.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 such mothers and analyzed using grounded theory.

Results: The mothers had “Choosing the Right School for the Child”. They sometimes felt “Uncertainty About School Support for Medical Care”. They made efforts for “Creating a Learning Environment Suitable for the Child”. However, when their questions remained unresolved, they ended in “Compromise with the Current Situation” and continued to accompany their children. On the other hand, through “Proactive Support for Independence received from the faculty”, “Awareness of the Child’s Social Development” was encouraged, and they began to be conscious of letting go, and reached “Self-Rediscovery through Letting Go of the Child”. Additionally, the mothers still had “Emotional Turmoil Caused by the Child’s Health Condition” while chaperoning their children, which interacted with other phenomena.

Conclusion: The mother’s accompaniment was a process of creating a learning environment for the child and reconstructing the mother’s own role. It is necessary to consider the nature of the accompaniment based on assessments of the child’s health status, psychosocial development, and the mother’s emotional fluctuations.