A. Family Profiles
1. Mike and Janice
Janice is mother and primary caregiver to Mike, 24, born with Down syndrome. Mike is third of four children having two elder sisters and a younger brother. Mike and his younger brother reside with Janice and Mike attends a day program full-time. Janice is no stranger to difficult times as over the years she has lost five of her seven siblings as well as her husband. Janice and Mike have support from friends and family, notably Janice’s older sister who lives nearby. Janice and Mike were interviewed together for 65 minutes. Mike speaks in one or two word utterances and has a pronounced memory for names.
2. Maria, Gary, Crystal, Carrie and Andrew
Maria and Gary, who have been married for 35 years, head their family of five. Support for daughter Crystal, aged 33, diagnosed with a developmental disability, OCD and schizophrenia, defines much of family life for Maria and Gary. Crystal has two siblings, Carrie, age 31 who lives with her husband Matthew and is expecting their first child, and Andrew, age 27 who lives on his own.
Crystal lives with her parents, and Maria has been full time caregiver for Crystal’s entire life. Gary is newly retired from a 40-year career in financial services and now more involved in Crystal’s daily support and routines. Carrie and Andrew were each interviewed one-on-one for 90 minutes while Maria, Gary and Crystal were interviewed together for two and one half hours. After the first hour of the group interview, Crystal had her lunch then left with Gary to be dropped at her day program. The interview continued one-on-one with Maria for 40 minutes until Gary returned and rejoined the interview for the final 30 minutes.
3. Donna, Martin, Susan and Joelle
Donna and Martin lead their reconstituted and adoptive family in support for Susan, age 20, who has a developmental disability. In addition, Susan’s sister Lisa, age 24, was labeled “gifted” when Lisa was in grade 7 and presented some distinct learning and social needs. Further, Lisa had sustained a brain injury four years earlier but had since resumed much of her former education and work pursuits. Donna and Martin have been married 29 years and adopted both Susan and Lisa as newborns. Three step sisters to Susan and Lisa, Joelle, age 37, Rhonda age 38 and Jamie age 43, from Martin’s first marriage, round out this family. Data from this family were collected in an interview lasting 130 minutes that included Donna, Martin, Susan, and Joelle.
4. Sandy and Dave
Dave, a middle-aged man with a cognitive disability, lives in a small town in a rental property owned by his mother Sandy. Dave and his older brother Robert are Sandy’s children from a previous marriage. Sandy married Chris when Dave was five and Robert was seven and Chris is the father figure with whom Dave and Robert identify. Sandy and Chris live on a farm a few kilometers from the town where Dave lives and Robert, his wife and two grown sons live on a neighboring farm. Sandy describes Dave as central in the life of her family. Dave lives with a roommate and has a full schedule of paid and volunteer work and is well known in town. Dave and Sandy each took part in one on one interviews; Sandy’s interview lasted fifty-three minutes while Dave’s total interview time was twenty-nine minutes. Sandy also took part in the second half of a ninety minute focus group interview that included caregivers from other families.
5. Allison, Jean and Barbara
Allison, a 31 year old woman diagnosed with Prader Willi Syndrome, lives on a farm with her parents Jean and Arthur. Allison has part time employment in a small town a few kilometers from her home. Allison’s siblings, Barbara, 26 and Mark, 22, live in a large urban centre an hour away from their parents’ farm and are central to Allison’s support. Jean, Barbara and Allison took part in a family member focus group lasting two hours. Barbara also took part in a 30 minute one-on-one interview.
6. Lindsay and Ruth
Ruth is a middle aged woman and the eldest of five siblings. Ruth and two of her sisters, Andrea and Gillian, have developmental disabilities. Ruth and Andrea live independently and are involved in supporting Gillian who has severe disabilities and lives in a group home. Ruth, Andrea and Gillian all receive considerable support from their sister Lindsay. Rounding out the sibling group is brother Kyle who has removed himself from support provision for his sisters with disabilities. Ruth and Lindsay took part in a family focus group lasting two and one half hours.
7. Geraldine and Henry
Geraldine, aged 80, along with caregivers from other families, took part in a ninety minute focus group interview where she discussed support she provides for her brother Henry, aged 71, who has a developmental disability. Henry moved to reside in a seniors home once his mother was no longer able to care for him. Henry, a man of few words, attends a day program and enjoys being part of social interactions. Henry took part in a one-on-one interview with a researcher which lasted 15 minutes.
B. Family Care Context Facilitation of Voice
Our samples provide evidence of parents and siblings representing and facilitating the voices of their sons/daughters/sisters/brothers with disabilities in ways that reflect intimate knowledge and skill at avoiding stress and conflict. For example, Janice, interviewed with her son Mike who has Down syndrome and limited verbal abilities, strikes a balance between facilitating, and yet not pushing, Mike to express himself. Janice uses gentle probes yet retreats when Mike says ‘no’ or withdraws. Janice specifically prompts Mike to share utterances resembling the names of people in Mike’s close family and social network. Janice pauses her prompts when Mike is stumped to come up with a particular name then gently rejoins Mike several minutes later when he remembers and is ready to share further names.
Intimate knowledge and skill at avoiding stress and conflict was evident in an interview that included Susan, who is 19 years old and has a developmenta