Motherhood, Disability, and Employment: Understanding the Workplace Experiences of Mothers of Children With Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

This study investigates the workplace experiences of mothers of children with intellectual disabilities. These mothers may face challenges in balancing motherhood, parenting a child with a disability, and employment. Therefore, it is important to understand the challenges they are facing and the mechanisms they use to cope with caregiving and work responsibilities in managing the stress that develops throughout this ongoing experience. The purpose of this research was to investigate the workplace experiences of single mothers of children with intellectual disabilities. A review of the literature was conducted. For this research, a qualitative methodology was adopted to gain an in-depth understanding of the mothers’ experiences. A qualitative method was used for data collection. Thematic analysis was utilized to obtain a clear understanding. The findings suggest that mothers of children with intellectual disabilities face difficulties in balancing caregiving for their child with a disability and their job responsibilities, in addition to showing that there is a lack of flexibility in the workplace, less awareness from colleagues and supervisors of the challenges these mothers face, and a lack of organizational legislation that supports these mothers. According to our findings, workplaces would assist mothers of children with intellectual disabilities to ensure that they are not disadvantaged in their employment.