부산대학교 도서관

This research explores the experiences of Omani mothers in their lives with their children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the decisions and choices they make about their education. The study is comprised of three sequential phases with three different data collection methods: the first is a story narration (written or recorded by 25 mothers); the second phase involves semi-structured interviews with 11 mothers; the third phase incorporates in- depth building-rapport days with three mothers and their children. Thematic analysis is used to try to understand and to examine the experiences of the Omani mothers of children with ASD. The findings show that receiving a diagnosis of ASD for their children is a highly important event that results in a range of emotional responses in Omani mothers. Mothers also express different emotional responses about their children's development and about their hopes and concerns for their children's future. A number of influences seem to contribute to mothers' educational decisions and choices, for example, the child's characteristics, the family's financial position, community support (formal and informal) and previous/current school experience. Findings also suggest that limited public awareness of ASD and lack of guidance and information seem to affect these decisions and choices. The research finds that these mothers have different experiences with regards to the availability of services for children with ASD in Oman, the process of accessing them and the quality of these services, if any. Implications are discussed for supporting mothers when making choices for their children's education and ways of supporting them to achieve a more positive experience when accessing services. These include raising awareness of the public in Oman about ASD, improving the services for children with ASD and providing more information for parents.