Turkish mothers' interpretations of the disability of their children with mental retardation

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to understand how Turkish mothers make meaning of the disability of their children with Mental Retardation (MR). Thirteen Turkish mothers who had at least one child with MR were the participants of the study. A qualitative interpretive framework was used for collecting and analyzing the data. The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. Mothers' beliefs on the nature, causation, and treatment of the disability of their children were the main focus of the interviews. Some parents did not believe their children had a disability or misunderstood the nature of disability. Although most were aware of their children's developmental limitations, they, at the same time, perceived the condition of the disability as temporary. Both traditional and modern (bio-medical) beliefs were held by most of the mothers on the causation of the disability. Mothers identified traditional beliefs, especially the religious ones, as the most popular causal agents. Most mothers sought help from both modern and traditional agents. Mothers, who held strong traditional beliefs regarding the causation of the disability of their children, held strong traditional treatment beliefs and valued more traditional treatment practices rather than bio-medical ones. Among the traditional treatment practices, most mothers required help from religious agents. Regarding future expectations of Mothers on the situation of their children, mothers wanted their children be less independent, and for this reason, they sought a more individualized education for their children. Implications, limitations and directions for future studies are also discussed.