‘Oh, those therapists will become your best friends’: maternal satisfaction with clinics providing physical, occupational and speech therapy services to children with disabilities

Abstract

Little is known about maternal satisfaction with clinics that provide physical, occupational and speech therapy services to chronically impaired children. Because of the frequency and duration of contact between mothers and therapy clinics, this represents a significant gap in the literature on satisfaction with health care providers. This study uses a modified labelling approach to the issue of interactions between the own, the wise and the others as a framework for understanding such satisfaction. Data are drawn from a survey of 81 mothers of children regularly treated at one of three paediatric therapy clinics, and from extensive interactive interviews with seven of these mothers. Findings suggest that satisfaction with therapy clinics is a complex phenomenon that is affected by the relationships among mothers, the wise and others, in a number of ways: (1) Mothers who find it easier to interact with wise individuals than with others are more satisfied with the therapy clinic; (2) The perceived quality of the social environment is more important to overall satisfaction among mothers who do not prefer interactions with wise individuals than among those who do; (3) Among mothers who do not prefer interactions with wise individuals, perceived stigma is inversely related to overall satisfaction and moderates the relationship between the social environment and satisfaction. The greater the degree of perceived stigma, the more important the social environment of the clinic is to overall satisfaction among mothers who do not prefer interactions with the wise.

Silenced grief: living with the death of a child with intellectual disabilities

“…Being a part of this network is a distinguishing feature in the lives of parents with people with IDs. Green (2001) has described such networks in Goffmanesque terms, describing them as ‘the wise’ for their sympathetic understanding of parents' lives. Although also a problematic one (Todd & Jones 2003), most parents reported that they wanted ongoing contact with this network in the time after the death of their child.…”

Impact of caring for a school‐aged child with a disability: Understanding mothers’ perspectives

“…One qualitative study has identified therapists who work with a child with a disability as a main source of support to the mother of the child. Green (2001), a mother of a child with cerebral palsy and a sociologist, interviewed 81 mothers of children with disabilities and found that therapists were a valued source of support because they had frequent and long‐term contact with mothers and ‘they were able to see their children as children, and treat them “just like any other kid” ’ (p. 811). Occupational therapists who form good relationships with mothers may be in a unique position to both offer psychological support and identify vulnerable mothers who may benefit from other professional services, such as a mental health practitioner/psychologist/psychiatrist.…”

Understanding carers’ lived experience of stigma: the voice of families with a child on the autism spectrum

“…Despite the negative ramifications of both felt and enacted stigma, the literature clearly indicates the resilience and adaptive abilities of carers (e.g. Landsman , Green , Broady ). Carers of children with a disability have reported developing advocacy skills and competence in mediating their children's interactions with wider social environments, and also emphasise the positive and enriching experiences of caring for a loved one (Ryan , Blum , Ryan & Runswick‐Cole , Broady , Carers NSW ).…”