The Passive Aspect of the Mother’s Attitude in Caring for a Son/Daughter with Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

This research explores how and in what context parents take their adult son/daughter with intellectual disabilities from care homes back to their own home. This paper focuses on mothers, because in Japan mothers take on the role of making decisions for children with intellectual disabilities. This research is based on interviews with these mothers. A qualitative analysis shows that the mothers passively accept the burden of care rather than actively accepting the idea of taking care of their child. In addition, the research suggests that whether the family has an environment conducive to childcare is an important condition.