1. Objectifs

Intentions :
« [S]tudy the differences and similarities in the personal experiences of fathers and mothers whose children have Down’s Syndrome […] The study will help to increase our understanding of the parents’ respective experiences and, as a result, will help to improve intervention programs. » (p. 232)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
« The sample was composed of nine parents (five families): four couples and one mother (whose husband did not attend the session) who had a child born with Down’s syndrome. The children were between the ages of two and five years old at the time of the study. Three parents were between 25 and 35 years old and the remaining six were between 36 and 45 years. » (p. 234) Two focus groups were conducted simultaneously in different rooms, one with women and the other with men.

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

« This qualitative study used focus groups to identify the differences and similarities in the experiences of parents of children with a disability. Two main themes emerged, showing the ways in which the mothers and fathers are alike or different. One concerns roles, actual and expected, in the various subsystems of family life. The other concerns the normalization and stigmatization that arise because of the child’s problem. Mothers tend to score better in terms of interpersonal and group communications. It would seem that the fathers’ expectations are harder to fulfil than the mothers’. The fathers’ expectations are attuned to the outer world; the actual day-to-day tasks related to the child’s care are not their priority. The mothers are less demanding and their expectations are more self-focused. Interestingly, these families are similar to families of children without a disability; however, the difficulties they experience are accentuated by the presence of a child with a problem. » (p. 231)