2014 Volume 12 Issue 2 Pages 18-32
The aim of this research is to clarify the socialization process of mothers of Down syndrome children through interchange activities with friends of their children, family members, and other parents of Down syndrome. The subjects were 11 mothers of young Down syndrome children who are the members of the Japan Down Syndrome Association.
Three categories of the process of Down syndrome mothers’ socialization were extracted from the research:
1. the process of meeting another Down syndrome child and being ac cepted by his family
2. the process of stepping out to an unfamiliar society and gradually becoming active as a mother of a Down syndrome child
3. the process of becoming knowledgeable about the social facts and challenges of Down syndrome and being concerned with the family’s future
The mothers have become more social through experiencing these processes.
These processes are aspects of mothers’ being accepted by society and their personal growth. Fellow parents helped mothers begin to enter common society smoothly. Moreover, the place where fellow parents get together is the important for mothers and a central point where they can make themselves understood.
