The article discusses the definition of the role of the mother, traces the transformation of a woman in the course of performing the maternal role as the main one in the process of development and socialization of a child with Down syndrome. The material of the article is based on a generalization of studies by a number of authors on the problem of the relationship "mother - a special child". The article presents the results of an empirical study of social expectations in the mother-child relationship. The purpose of the study was to determine the nature of the relationship between mothers and their children with Down syndrome, showing the assessment of the child by the parents.