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Journal of Child Health Care
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how do mothers and fathers who have a child with a disability describe their adaptation/ transformation process?

Diane Pelchat, PhD

Faculty of Nursing, University of Montreal; Researcher, Inter-Network Group for Research on Family Adaptation (GIRAFE) and Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Rehabilitation, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada, diane.pelchat{at}umontreal.ca

Marie-Josée Levert, MSc

Lecturer, Faculty of Nursing and Researcher, Inter-Network Group for Research on Family Adaptation (GIRAFE), University of Montreal, Canada and PhD Candidate, University of Quebec, Montreal, Canada.

Valérie Bourgeois-Guérin, MSc

Department of Psychology, PhD Candidate, University of Quebec, Montreal, Canada

This qualitative study explored the adaptation/transformation process in mothers and fathers at the individual, parental, marital and extrafamilial levels, and the similarities and differences in their experience of living with a child with cerebral palsy. Interviews were conducted with 13 mothers and 13 fathers of children with cerebral palsy. The results show that mothers and fathers are more likely to view the situation differently than similarly. For both parents, the situation offers the potential for transformation. Complementarity between mothers and fathers is an important factor in each of the adaptation or transformation subsystems. Both parents embark on a journey that changes their beliefs about difference, apply their new knowledge to every aspect of their life, and endeavour to normalize their situation.

Key Words: adaptation • adaptive strategies • adjustment • child • disability • experience • father • mother • transformation

Journal of Child Health Care, Vol. 13, No. 3, 239-259 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1367493509336684
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