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Appreciation of the ‘Subtle Changes’: Perspectives of Korean American Parents Raising Children with Developmental Disabilities

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Abstract

This qualitative study explored the experiences of Korean American (KA) immigrant parents of children with development disabilities (DDs) for their children with DDs living in the southeastern U.S. Using the Contextual Model of Family Stress as an organizing theoretical framework, we examined differences based on cultural characteristics, parents’ gender, child’s age, and diagnosis. Twenty KA parents of children with DDs participated in the study. We used grounded theory methods to analyze the data. Four major themes emerged including source of difficulties, source of support, perceptions of developmental progress, and personal transformations. The results indicated that KA parents shared similar experiences, but they varied depending on internal and external factors. Despite higher risk of stress, participants reported reframing challenges positively and using different types of support. However, parents who recently immigrated, lacked spousal support, and had children with severe symptoms appeared more vulnerable. We discuss implications for professionals working with this population.

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Acknowledgements

This study was made possible through funding from the Organization for Autism Research. We would like to thank the parents who participated in the study. We also appreciate Dr. Betsy Vonk, who provided valuable feedback on this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 525 West Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Irang Kim & Sarah Dababnah

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  1. Irang Kim
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  2. Sarah Dababnah
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Correspondence to Irang Kim.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standard.

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Kim, I., Dababnah, S. Appreciation of the ‘Subtle Changes’: Perspectives of Korean American Parents Raising Children with Developmental Disabilities. J Dev Phys Disabil 32, 307–322 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-019-09693-1

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