This study explored the perception of risk signals and characteristics of parents of children with BIF in elementary school, examining the implications for the development of a screening checklist for children with BIF to be used by parents. The parti...
This study explored the perception of risk signals and characteristics of parents of children with BIF in elementary school, examining the implications for the development of a screening checklist for children with BIF to be used by parents. The participants were six parents of elementary school children with BIF living in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The children ranged in age from first to fifth grade and were attending regular and alternative schools. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with the participants using a semi-structured interview method. The resulting data were analyzed using the qualitative research analysis method suggested by Colaizzi (1978). To increase the validity and reliability of the study, transcripts and analytical data were checked using experienced teacher and participant identification methods. In addition, the results were discussed with a teacher who has a son with BIF. This study produced 3 categories, 11 topic groups, 21 meaning formations, and 109 meaningful statements. Parents were already aware that their children had BIF through risk signals before they entered elementary school, and the children were mainly diagnosed using intelligence tests before and after entering elementary school. Developmental delays during infancy and early childhood were experienced before the children entered elementary school, with delayed language development around age 3 and difficulty learning Korean before and after entering elementary school being important risk signals. After entering elementary school, the three biggest difficulties faced by the children were lack of social skills, learning difficulties, and lack of confidence, followed by language, cognition, motor, and daily or school difficulties. The parents believed that social skills, confidence, and relationships with themselves were important for their children, and they hoped that their children would come to accept themselves positively, living confidently as members of society, growing slowly but steadily, and achieving well-being. From these results, implications for the development of a BIF screening tool for elementary school students and suggestions for follow-up research were discussed.