我的研究主要是利用質性研究方法，並且，運用了參與觀察與訪談方式蒐集研究資料，藉以探究一位發展遲緩幼兒母親的生活經驗。
我的研究對象------美惠，原本是個名符其實的職業婦女，後來因為小女兒很難照料，於是，她就辭掉工作而成為全職家庭主婦。由於，婚後的美惠一直就與婆婆的關係處得不好，再加上先生不甚體諒美惠的立場，所以，一次婆媳間的細故事件發生後，美惠與先生的婚姻關係幾乎瀕臨破裂。然而，離婚事件之後，才得知小女兒為發展遲緩兒一事，除了讓美惠當下傷心欲絕、日後四處尋找女兒所需資源以外，還促使美惠深刻地自我覺醒，因而，她慢慢地對其自我家庭角色加以重新定位。同時，美惠的這一番改變，間接地影響她所維持的家人與婚姻關係有所改善。
透過美惠的經驗，我們發現美惠以及其他家庭成員的生活，確實都因『家有障礙兒』一事而受到不同程度的影響，並且也經歷一段調適與資源摸索或尋找的歷程。然而，原本家庭婚姻不和諧的情形，卻在美惠調適與接納小女兒為發展遲緩幼兒的同時，她也對自己過去的所作所為有所深刻的體悟，進而讓她的家庭與婚姻生活轉變成為較為理想的狀態。

In this study, a mother who had a young child with developmental delays was used as an example to illustrate the experience of having a special needs child in the family. Qualitative research design was selected in this case study in order to explore the detailed phenomena in the real word of the mother. Participant observation and in-depth interviewing were the main strategies used for data collection.
Because of having difficulties in taking care of a youngest daughter, Bay-bay, the mother decided to quit the full-time job. Once the child was diagnosed as having developmental delays, the mother experienced grief and sorrow, but soon bravely looked for medical and educational resources for the child. Even though the delayed child had brought heavy care taking works for the mother, as the mother had reported, however she had successfully coped with the crisis and improved the relationships with her husband and mother-in-law.
In this case, it is obviously that having a special needs child could truly effect the life of the mother. The mother had experienced great trauma, psychological struggling, and resources hunting, however, the fact of having a special child had allowed her to find ways to solve the existing problems in her marriage and family life.
Keywords: mother, developmentally delayed child

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