Purpose: The purpose of this study is to clarify the anxieties of those parents of preschool children with developmental disabilities who go to a development support center, and the factors related to consultation requests to a parent mentor.
Method: The questionnaire survey targeted parents of preschool children who have developed developmental disabilities or suspected difficulties from the age of three. Data were collected on presence / absence of diagnosis of developmental disorder, each child’s behavioral and living problems, the parents’ own anxieties, the mentor’s level of awareness and hope in the consultation process, the willingness to become a mentor, etc. Data were analyzed using χ2 test and logistic regression analysis.
Result: More than 80% of parents’ responded to the questions concering difficulties with the child’s behavior, with daily life, and with their own anxieties. The person who has the diagnosis of the developmental disorder, the person who experiences uneasiness of the interpersonal relationship with the consultation party, and the person who is willing to become a mentor, all had a lot of hope invested in consulting to the mentor.
Conclusion: Many of the parents of preschool children with developmental disorders who go to a development support center had anxieties around the problems with their children as well as with themselves, and there was an investment of hope in the consultation with a mentor. The hope of seeking consultation with a mentor was most relevant to the hope of becoming a mentor and going on to support other parents in the future. What we need from now on is that parents can safely consult with the mentor, be a future mentor and be able to support other parents.
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