Joining the support group allowed Crystal to seek a better explanation of ASD, which changed her focus from the doctors she believed had wronged her and her son to gaining access to resources and specialists who could help her son in the way Crystal wanted. Crystal says she believes with right people working with me, he [her son] “the could story turns from a negative focus on what she lacked and how her soar.” Crystal’s options had been limited to a positive focus on what she as a mother can do to son’s support her child. For Crystal, the support group gave her the validation she was looking for and made her feel more informed, which in turn made her more confident in making decisions going forward. While story is about her struggle to accept herself as a good mother, and Grace’s story is about overcoming challenges and seeking resources for her son as a Crystal’s heroic mother, narrative bridged the two. Rachel found herself isolated from Rachel’s friends and the mothers of her peers because of her diagnosis. However, she son’s son’s says, am lucky that my husband and family regarding both her “I ARE supportive” son’s needs and her own need for support in being a mother of a child with ASD. Rachel did not offer any suggestion in her interview that she struggled with redefining her sense of motherhood following her diagnosis, but both her feeling of isolation and her son’s feeling that she is lucky to have the support of her husband and family suggest that she faced challenges in accepting what it meant to others for her to be a mother of a child with ASD. In effect, Rachel felt pressure from the outside to redefine her sense of motherhood, even though she was more focused on finding the right specialists and resources for her son. Doing what is right for her son and her family is very much what
Joining the support group allowed Crystal to seek a better explanation of ASD, which changed her focus from the doctors she believed had wronged her and her son to gaining access to resources and specialists who could help her son in the way Crystal wanted. Crystal says she believes with “the right people working with me, he [her son] could soar.” Crystal’s story turns from a negative focus on what she lacked and how her son’s options had been limited to a positive focus on what she as a mother can do to support her child. For Crystal, the support group gave her the validation she was looking for and made her feel more informed, which in turn made her more confident in making decisions going forward. While Grace’s story is about her struggle to accept herself as a good mother, and Crystal’s story is about overcoming challenges and seeking resources for her son as a heroic mother, Rachel’s narrative bridged the two. Rachel found herself isolated from friends and the mothers of her son’s peers because of her son’s diagnosis. However, she says, “I am lucky that my husband and family ARE supportive” regarding both her son’s needs and her own need for support in being a mother of a child with ASD. Rachel did not offer any suggestion in her interview that she struggled with redefining her sense of motherhood following her son’s diagnosis, but both her feeling of isolation and her feeling that she is lucky to have the support of her husband and family suggest that she faced challenges in accepting what it meant to others for her to be a mother of a child with ASD. In effect, Rachel felt pressure from the outside to redefine her sense of motherhood, even though she was more focused on finding the right specialists and resources for her son. Doing what is right for her son and her family is very much what