Mothers’ Experiences of Parenting a Child with Dyslexia: A Case Study in Sri Lanka

This study focuses on the psycho-social experiences faced by the mothers of dyslexic children. It is often the mothers who spend the most amount of time with their children after they are born and mothers generally play an important role in providing a good learning environment. Studies have shown that mothers have higher levels of stress than fathers, because mothers assume a greater share of the burden of responsibility in raising children with disabilities. The objectives of this study were to identify the factors influencing the level of psychological stress experienced by mothers of children with dyslexia; to evaluate their emotional experiences and determine their level of life satisfaction. Fifteen mothers of dyslexic children and fifteen mothers of non-dyslexic children were selected from the same classroom (grades 5-8, ages 10-14), for a sample survey with purposive sampling. The study employed unstructured interviews and a questionnaire with a self-developed screening test for psychosocial issues and the mothers’ emotional experiences. The Parental Stress Scale (Berry & Jones, 1995) with an 18 item self-report scale was also utilized. The results showed that the mothers of dyslexic children had a higher level of negative emotions about their children’s nature, education and future compared to the mothers of non-dyslexic children. The mothers of dyslexic children also presented a moderate level of stress scores and associated stress factors included insufficient mutual support within the family, the class teachers’ influence in school, difficulty in accepting reality, social isolation, problems with educating the child, problems with memory and being required to do the child’s homework. These stress factors were high in contrast to the mothers of non-dyslexic children. Regarding the scores relating to the parents’ life satisfaction with their child, the responses showed very low scores for the mothers of dyslexic children, who had negative attitudes and faced more social stigma than the mothers of non-dyslexic children. The findings indicated that the mothers of dyslexic children needed support and assistance to overcome their challenges and to enhance their coping strategies, in order to protect and nurture their children. These mothers need support from multi-disciplinary health professionals who could provide assistance in the form of counseling, psychotherapy, psychological skills, occupational therapy and psychiatric treatment, which could help in parenting children with dyslexia. Teachers and special education teachers should offer support to these children and their parents, to help them manage and overcome their difficulties with reading, writing and learning