photo by:
HAMED MASOUMI At an early point in the family life cycle, families learn that their child has a disability. The family then must address the twin issues of grief and loss. These reactions and feelings relate to grieving for the loss of the “perfect child” (Ellis, 1989) and/or to the feelings that their dreams for their child have been lost (Gargiulo & Graves, 1991). Olshansky (1962) characterized this process as the “chronic sorrow syndrome” and Jaffe (1991) points out that parents experience feelings of guilt, anger, disappointment, withdrawal, sadness, and denial early in the process and later experience feelings of depression, helplessness, ambivalence, and being burdened. These feelings do not occur only at the time of identification but occur throughout the life of the child and his/her family (Hanline, 1991; Spidel, 1995). The feelings of loss occur regardless of the age of the child at identification or recognition of the disability and regardless of the level of severity of the disability identified (Gargiulo & Kilgo, 2000). However, the intensity of these reactions may vary depending on the two specific factors: first, the age of the child when identification occurs, and second, the severity of the child’s condition. Either factor may increase the level of stress experienced by parents. Other factors influencing reactions of the parents to the information that their child has a disability include the parents’ socioeconomic status, their physician’s attitude, the presence of other children and a spouse in the home, their prior information about the disability, their cultural/ethnic values, the availability of support systems, their religion, the presence of other children with disabilities in the family, and the level of family functioning (Lambie & Daniels-Mohring, 1993; Mary, 1990).
-
1
- 2
© ______ 2006, Merrill, an imprint of Pearson Education Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The reproduction, duplication, or distribution of this material by any means including but not limited to email and blogs is strictly prohibited without the explicit permission of the publisher.
Ask a Question
Have questions about this article or topic? AskToday on Education.com
SEASONAL
100th Day of School
HOLIDAY
Celebrate President's Day
PARENTING
7 Things to Do When a Teacher Calls Home
Popular Articles
- Cyber Bullying Statistics: What the Facts Mean for You
- Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids
- Sudbury Schools: A Radical Alternative to No Child Left Behind
- The Definition of Autism: About to Change?
- eBooks for Kids: Hurtful or Helpful for Young Readers?
- Fight Obesity, Naked Chef-Style
- Is Your Child a Cheater?
- 7 Story-Making Games for Kids
- Body Odor and Bad Breath: 6 Things to Tell Teens About Hygiene
- The Babysitter Box: Essential Elements for Fun




Add your own comment