Date Approved
6-16-2025
Embargo Period
6-16-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D. Education
Department
Wellness and Inclusive Education Services
College
College of Education
Advisor
Cecile Sam, Ph.D.
Committee Member 1
Amy Accardo, EdD
Committee Member 2
Brent Elder, Ph.D.
Keywords
Disability;Identity;Mothers;Narrative Inquiry;Special Educators
Abstract
Women who are both special educators and mothers of one or more children with disabilities are uniquely positioned in both mothering and disability discourse. In narratives about mothering, having a child with a disability shifts the mothering discourse away from meeting the expectations of good mothering towards deficit-oriented perspectives of both the mother and their child. In narratives about disability, mothers are expected to align with broader societal views that disability is a problem that needs to be fixed. In this study, I used a narrative inquiry approach to ask mothers and special educators to share their stories about mothering, teaching, and navigating the special education system. The 12 mother-special educators in this study embraced the expectations of intensive mothering but broadly rejected the dominant narrative of “disability as deficit” for their children and students. They described a mix of role conflicts and benefits based on their dual-role identity. They also had unique insights about the roles of parents in special education broadly and advocacy in particular. The mothers’ recommendations included positioning mothers who are also special educators as advocacy experts, moving towards an understanding of disability as a welcome form of identity, and the need for increased understanding about disability.
Recommended Citation
Bomgardner, Estyr, "EXPERIENCES OF MOTHER-SPECIAL EDUCATORS WITH A DISABLED CHILD: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY ANALYSIS" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 3396.
https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/3396
