A grounded theory analysis on the parenting experience of mothers of children who stutter

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the parenting experiences of mothers of children who stutter based on the grounded theory. Methods: The participants were six mothers of children who stutter. An in-depth interview was conducted, transcribed and analyzed according to the grounded theory method. Results: The data was analyzed into 172 concepts, 33 subcategories and 16 categories. The core phenomenon in the parenting experiences of mothers of children who stutter was a sense of 'Ultimate repression for normality'. The causal conditions of the core phenomenon were found to be an 'Apparent stuttering manifestation'. This phenomenon was found to be reinforced by the contextual conditions of 'Vague expectation,' 'Child's response' and 'Support from others'. 'Personality tendency', 'Personal values', and 'Putting on a front' were found to be the remedial factors with respect to the core phenomenon of a sense of 'Ultimate repression for normality'. Among the remedial strategies reported for 'Ultimate repression for normality' were 'Exploring methods', 'Compromise', 'Avoidance' and 'Badgering'. Those remedial strategies created 'Confidence,' 'Low self-esteem' and 'Remorse'. The parenting experiences of mothers of children who stutter were classified into four types. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that any program intended to remedy a mother's sense of 'Ultimate repression for normality' should be managed not only by the clinicians themselves, but also by an academy or professional association. The study further concluded that societal prejudice against stuttering needs to be dealt with at the societal and governmental levels.