The aim of this study was to analyze mothers' reports about their children's diagnosis of deafness. Based on a qualitative approach, ten hearing mothers of deaf children were interviewed. These mothers and their deaf children had been going to the Centro de Estudos e Pesquisas em Reabilitação in the State of São Paulo for two years or more. The data analysis showed that the news that the child was deaf came as a shock to all mothers. Their reactions usually depended on whether they already suspected deafness, on how the diagnosis was proffered, and on the way the medical professionals transmitted information about hearing impairments. Some mothers expressed ambivalent and contradictory feelings, seeking evidence of normality in their children. Others, over time, showed that they had adapted well to the situation of having a deaf child, having been able to integrate him or her into their lives in general.
deafness; motherly sentiments; diagnosis; mothers
