Developmental Disabilities

Essay # 64710

Child, Youth Issues
Education
Education > Social Issues

A look at various aspects of life for individuals with developmental disabilities and their caretakers.

2,319 words () | 6 sources | APA | 2005 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper considers the many challenges and obstacles encountered by individuals with developmental disabilities and the caretakers of those individuals. The paper discusses the stress of caring for someone with a developmental disability, the harmful effects caused by negative stereotyping of the developmentally disabled and functional difficulties that the developmentally disabled experience in society.

Outline
Societal View
Stereotypes
Challenges for Families
Functioning in Society
Assisting Transitions

From the Paper:

"The societal view of people with developmental disabilities such as autism, down's syndrome, and mental retardation is complicated. On the one hand, there is a tradition in Western healthcare of institutionalizing these clients and keeping them separate from society. On the other hand, there is a growing movement for the integration of these individuals into productive roles into society through assisted living, independent living, and other alternatives stressing independence and empowerment of the disabled individual. This is sometimes known as the respective eras of institutionalization and deinstitutionalization in respect to individuals with developmental disabilities and how society views them. Seltzer et. al (2001) remark that "Many agencies that provide services to individuals with mental retardation were created in the era of deinstitutionalization (sic) and many still serve individuals who previously lived in state institutions whose families may not be highly involved."