Korean children with disabilities: Experiences and perceptions of a group of parents and professionals

Abstract

Caring for children with disabilities can be particularly challenging for immigrant parents. The aim of this research was to explore the experiences of Korean immigrant parents raising children with disabilities in New Zealand. As the study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of immigrant parents’ experiences and perceptions, a qualitative approach was employed to collect rich and lived information from participants. Using purposive sampling, ten participants were recruited among Korean parents of children with disabilities and professionals working with those families.Each participant was interviewed to share their experiences, perspectives and expectations regarding raising children with disabilities in New Zealand. Through analysis of the collected data, findings were divided into three major issues: individual and family experiences, experiences with services and expectations. From these issues identified in the findings, three important themes emerged, including experiences of services and its relationship with trust, cultural values and expectations and looking to the future. The impacts of having a lack of knowledge about the New Zealand health care system and available services, language barrier, and emotional challenges on trust in services provided among Korean parent with children with disabilities, and contradicting perceptions around expectations on services between Korean parents and professionals were explored. The impacts of cultural values and expectations included discussions around how Korean parents with children with disabilities view themselves as passive recipients of services, the significant level of parental responsibility and the dilemmas experienced and lack of available informal support. The last theme, looking to the future, explored parents’ concerns around children’s future care and the need for culturally appropriate services. The present study recommends that professionals, service providers and government consider ways to build trusting relationship with Korean parents and their children with disabilities. Ensuring better understanding around available services and general operation of the New Zealand health care system, training and educating volunteers, and increasing public awareness around disabilities are recommended. Professionals working with Korean parents with children with disabilities should seek opportunities to develop and increase parents’ empowerment and self-advocacy. Furthermore, employing more Korean professionals in the mainstream health care services, and advocating, empowering, and assisting Korean professionals and parents to establish Korean services for Korean children with disabilities and their families may also be valuable.