“I Have Fought This System from the Moment He Stepped Into School”: Exploring Sources of Uncertainty for Mothers of Children With Dyslexia

Abstract

This study adopts the lens of uncertainty management theory to understand how mothers of children with dyslexia construct and negotiate the uncertainty they face.  Dyslexia is academically, mentally, financially, and emotionally challenging for families, but the voices of parents are often missing from the conversation.  Interpretive thematic analysis of a large online support group for parents illustrated four major sources of uncertainty: the future, advocacy, communicating about the diagnosis, and the financial cost. Exploring the uncertainty of mothers themselves offers a more textured understanding of the meaning and sense-making processes of families as they navigate a common yet widely misunderstood learning disability.