A Qualitative Inquiry of Korean Mothers’ Perceptions of Grandparents’ Roles and Support for Families of Children with Severe Disabilities

Abstract

This study investigated the perceptions of Korean mothers of children with severe disabilities regarding how grandparents are involved in the lives of their grandchildren. Six mothers of children with severe disabilities were interviewed. Data collection used a combination of open-ended structured questions and non-directed probing, member checking, and field notes, to enhance the trustworthiness of data collection. Five themes emerged: grandparents’ perceptions regarding the cause of their grandchild’s disability and their initial reactions to the grandchild’s birth, grandparents’ adjustment difficulty, grandparents as a source of involvement and support, mothers’ perceptions of grandparents’ roles, and grandparents as a source of stress. Although grandparents generally occupied positive and functionally supportive roles, the mothers identified three situations that provoked parental stress in their family: grandparents’ dysfunctional perceptions regarding their grandchild’s disability, excessive participation in the decision making of the grandchild’s education, and expressions of grief in front of the grandchild. The discussion focuses on unique issues experienced by Korean grandparents, universal cross-cultural perspectives regarding grandparents’ positive roles supporting families of children with severe disabilities, and strategies to continue promoting helpful and adaptive grandparent involvement.