Adaptive parenting strategies used by mothers with physical disabilities caring for infants and toddlers

Powell, Robyn M.; Mitra, Monika; Smeltzer, Suzanne C.; Long‐Bellil, Linda M.; Smith, Lauren; Rosenthal, Eliana; Iezzoni, Lisa I.

doi:10.1111/hsc.12706

Cited by 16 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Notably, there are no indications from the authors that they are aware of the prevalence of mothers with disabilities and the fact that disabled women can and do effectively parent children. 19 Instead, they frame it as inevitably impossible for both Julia and her family. All the trusted adults in her life, including her parents and her health care team, believed that she should terminate her pregnancy, and so ultimately, she did.…”

Section: Policy Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…20 Instead, Donchin and other feminst scholars argue that we all are inevitably engaged in relationships of interdependency that confer upon us autonomy to a greater or lesser degree. 19,21 Autonomy is never something an individual has (or not). It is something that is conferred and recognized (or not) by the sorts of relationships we build with each other.…”

Section: Relational Autonomymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rethinking systemic ableism: A response to Zagouras, Ellick, and Aulisio

et al. 2022

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Introduction This article is a response to Zagouras, Ellick, and Aulisio who presented a case study justifying the questioning of the capacity and autonomy of a young woman with a physical disability who was pregnant and facing coercive pressure to terminate. Case description Julia is described as a 26-year-old woman with a neurological disability that requires her to receive assistance with activities of daily living. She was described as living with her parents who provided her with personal care assistance. Julia became pregnant and her parents wished her to terminate because they did not want to care for her child in addition to her. In fact, Julia's parents threatened her with institutionalization if she did not elect to terminate the pregnancy. Her health care team questioned her decision-making capacity based on her alleged “mental age” and experiences of being sheltered and excluded. The health care team used directive tactics to convince Julia to terminate the pregnancy, which describe as both an ethical and feminist intervention. Discussion The current authors take issue with the case analysis provided by and argue that they neglected to account for numerous instances of systemic ableism that adversely affected Julia, demonstrated prejudicial and judgmental attitudes toward pregnancy and disability, inappropriately questioned her decision-making capacity by infantilizing her, misconstrued the feminist concept of relational autonomy, and colluded with coercive interference from family members. This is a classic example of discriminatory and culturally incompetent reproductive health care for a disabled woman.

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Section: Policy Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Relational Autonomymentioning

confidence: 99%

Rethinking systemic ableism: A response to Zagouras, Ellick, and Aulisio

et al. 2022

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“…Aligned to this social model of disability, challenges in parenting for both men and women with physical disabilities that have been identified include physical barriers and lack of environmental accessibility, such as to playgrounds or daycare settings (Bergeron et al, 2012; Malacrida, 2019). Furthermore, a consistent theme across studies of parenting with a range of disabilities, including SCI (Grue & Laerum, 2002; Malacrida, 2009; Powell et al, 2018), is negative societal attitudes such as pity or a patronizing attitude (Duvdevany et al, 2008), partially attributable to signifiers of disability such as a wheelchair being seen as a sign of weakness and incapability in an ableist society (Papadimitriou, 2008). However, in several studies of women with physical disabilities, including with SCI, becoming a mother was identified as an opportunity to reshape negative societal attitudes and to see their bodies differently; a time to experience being an adult, rather than primarily a disabled person (Grue & Laerum, 2002).…”

Section: Parenting With a Physical Disabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In turn, this can bring added pressure to women with disabilities who tend to push themselves to ‘perform mothering in ways designed to convince other people of their suitability to be a mother’ (Grue & Laerum, 2002, p. 677). Despite the obstacles posed by disability, parents use adaptive strategies and equipment (Powell et al, 2018) to develop good relationships with their children (Mazur, 2008) and challenges in parenting with a physical disability do not detract from the joy and delight in parenting roles (Prilleltensky, 2004).…”

Section: Parenting With a Physical Disabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

‘You Lose Confidence in Being a Human Being, Never Mind Being a Parent’: The Lived Experience of Mothers With Spinal Cord Injury

2022

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Little research to date has explored the experiences of parenting among mothers with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). The aim of the study was to explore the lived experiences of mothers with SCI. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight mothers and an interpretive phenomenological analysis was carried out. Two super-ordinate themes were identified. The first theme, entitled: ‘A sit-down mummy: The visibility of differences as a mother with SCI’ highlighted how mothers faced challenges when undertaking practical parenting tasks, thus making them feel less than their non-injured peers, and how they navigated the visible and physical intrusion of the wheelchairs in their relationships with their children. The second theme, entitled: ‘What kind of mother? Being a good enough parent’ reflected mothers’ heightened sense of guilt with respect to unmet expectations of the self as mother, and the contrasting positive experiences of availing of support and finding new ways to connect with their children. Clinical implications, methodological considerations and future directions are discussed.

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“…Up to 14% of adults of childbearing age have a disability and mobility‐related disabilities are among the most prevalent (Statistics Canada, 2013, 2018). Although this area of practice is still in development, a growing number of studies highlight occupational therapists' valuable contribution to facilitating family participation of parents with a PD using adaptive strategies (National Council on Disability, 2012; Powell et al, 2019; Wint et al, 2016). To support parents with a PD in this role, parenting assessments are essential to document their needs in all areas of care and determine the clinical interventions and resources that would be required to meet them (Michallet & Hamelin, 2016; National Council on Disability, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parenting with a physical disability: A scoping review of assessment methods

Pastor-Bédard

Pituch

Lamata

et al. 2022

Aus Occup Therapy J

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Introduction Daily childcare can be challenging for parents with a physical disability who have young children. Occupational therapists are valuable facilitators to family participation. However, occupational therapists have reported significant gaps in knowledge when documenting the parenting role of parents with a physical disability in occupational therapy practice. This study explored and described the parenting assessment methods used with parents with a physical disability in the scientific literature. Methods A scoping review was conducted, and search results were reviewed by two separate reviewers. The search strategy was applied to five databases (Embase, CINAHL, MEDLINE, HaPI, PsycInfo). Numerical and thematic analyses were conducted. Results Four thousand one hundred fifty articles were screened, and 73 relevant scientific articles were included. Seventy‐six assessment methods were identified, including 20 assessment instruments with few reported population‐specific psychometric studies. Most assessments were conducted via interviews (n = 45), followed by questionnaires (n = 27), and only six were performance based. Parenting practices and experience were the two dimensions most assessed, with little attention given to parenting responsibility. Mothers with multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, rheumatoid arthritis, and cerebral palsy were the most assessed. Conclusion Further research is needed to develop specific, multidimensional, and validated parenting assessments for all parents with a physical disability, including performance‐based assessments. Formal assessments should be conducted by professionals, including occupational therapists, who have the necessary training.

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Adaptive parenting strategies used by mothers with physical disabilities caring for infants and toddlers

Cited by 16 publications

References 37 publications

Rethinking systemic ableism: A response to Zagouras, Ellick, and Aulisio

Rethinking systemic ableism: A response to Zagouras, Ellick, and Aulisio

‘You Lose Confidence in Being a Human Being, Never Mind Being a Parent’: The Lived Experience of Mothers With Spinal Cord Injury

Parenting with a physical disability: A scoping review of assessment methods

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