Coping With a Disabled Child

Paper Summary:

The paper refers to the article "Medical and Psychosocial Aspects of Chronic Illness and Disability" by D.R. Falvo and discusses the reaction of parents when a child is born with or develops some form of disability during childhood. The paper discusses the stress that can take the form of grief, denial, depression or guilt. The paper explains the positive outlook parents should have and discusses the benefits of support groups and grief counseling. The paper emphasizes the importance of parents understanding that they still have a whole, but different, child.

From the Paper:

"When a child is born with or develops some form of disability during his or her childhood, the parents almost inevitably suffer significant feeling of loss and grief. The process that they undertake is similar to that of someone who has experienced the loss of a loved one, or of a special person in their lives. The totality of this grieving depends on a number of factors. It is influenced by 1) the condition itself, 2) the disparity between the individuals' personality pre- and post-disease or disability, 3) how the affected individual and his or her family perceive the new condition, 4) the resources with which the person can respond to the disease or disability, and 5) the amount of support that an individual can derive from his or her family or society at large (Falvo, 2005, p. 1)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Falvo, D. R. (2005). Medical and psychosocial aspects of chronic illness and disability. Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

More papers on Coping With a Disabled Child:

• Term Paper # 133163 : "People With Disabilities"
• Research Paper # 49958 : "Therapeutic Intervention and the Developmentally Challenged Child"
• Term Paper # 118001 : "Helping Children Cope"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: