Formas en que las madres afrontan la discapacidad de sus hijos : un estudio desde las percepciones de las madres con hijos con discapacidad intelectual en la ciudad de Guayaquil.

Abstract

The objective of this research is to understand the perceptions and coping strategies that mothers of children with moderate intellectual disabilities have in their maternal role in order to make visible the silenced experiences of this type of motherhood, so that their used coping strategies are exposed and their perceptions of their child's disability through their daily lives. For the analysis of the information collected and responding to the proposed objectives, the Theory of Social Constructionism and the Attachment Theory have been used. The elaboration of this research has a qualitative approach, with an exploratory and descriptive level and Life stories as a method in Investigation. In-depth interviews and observation were carried out with 6 mothers who have minor children with moderate intellectual disabilities in the city of Guayaquil. Among the main findings is the fact that the care that mothers have given to their children in their motherhood process is influenced by their relationship and childhood experiences by the relationship with their primary bond, how their attachment styles were changing in adult life and the impact it had on their children. Likewise, the emotional impact is emphasized and how feelings such as the fear that their children will be left unprotected in the event that something happens to them started to appear, even though they claim to maintain good relationships and family or institutional support; as well as the worried about the death of their children because of health complications.