Perceptions of Motherhood Among Israeli Religious and Haredi Mothers of Children on the Autism Spectrum: From “I feel Like with Him I’m Lost” to “It’s a Gift in My Life”

Abstract

Mothers of children on the autism spectrum cope with numerous difficulties associated with raising a child with a complex disability. Religious belief is perceived as a resource for coping with the difficulty. This study examined the uniqueness of the perception of motherhood among Israeli national-religious and Haredi mothers of children on the autism spectrum ages 10–19 with various levels of function, using 12 semistructured interviews which were analyzed by a full content analysis according to grounded theory. The interviews revealed that the mothers perceived their motherhood as an ongoing process that is accompanied by a journey of self-awareness. The transition from feelings of helplessness, frustration, and guilt to feelings of growth and development from the crisis, as well as movement from total motherhood and attentive motherhood, reflect this process. A dichotomous distinction of motherhood emerged between how the participants related to other mothers of children on the autism spectrum and to mothers of typically developing children. The religious beliefs expressed by the participants touched on coming to terms with reality, belief as an anchor, belief that life invites inner progress, belief in future reward, and belief that their situation is a test from God or, alternatively, a punishment from God. The study contributes to knowledge of perceptions of motherhood by mothers of children on the autism spectrum, unique to national-religious and Haredi mothers in Israel.