Is there a bright side? The positive emotional responses of mothers of children with learning difficulties

Abstract

The focus of this article is on the positive emotional responses of mothers to children with learning difficulties. Initially, a narrative research design, within a constructivist and interpretivist paradigm, was used to capture a chapter in the life stories of eleven mothers whose children were attending a school specialising in ‘remedial’ education, relating their experiences and emotional responses regarding their child's learning difficulties. A subsequent theme analysis focused on the positive emotional responses of these mothers to their children. The study found substantial evidence of positive emotional responses towards the children as well as the school where support was provided. Results indicate strong responses of love, happiness, understanding, relief, acceptance and hopefulness in the majority of the participants.

Keywords:

• Positive psychology
• learning difficulties
• mothers' emotional responses