Date of Award

1-1-1980

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Teaching & Learning

Abstract

Purpose. This study was designed as an investigation of the adjustment processes that parents go through when a child with a handicapping condition is born into a family. Specifically, there was interest in looking at possible parallels in the adjustment pattern of these parents and that of grieving individuals. Fifteen families (23 parents) were interviewed on tape during two separate sessions in an effort to observe the adjustment process. Information from the tapes was transcribed and charted on a two cycle chart to indicate the frequency of various responses (i.e. the responses of guilt, anger, bartering, denial and acceptance). Questionnaires filled out by the parent were reviewed for similarities in educational background, religion, income level, and length of marriage.Conclusions. (1) The parents in this study passed through the emotional stages of anger, denial, guilt, bartering and acceptance with respect to their handicapped child. (2) In this study, the adjustment process associated with the parenting of a severely handicapped child was similar to the grieving process in the following respects: (a) An initial stage of shock, disbelief and almost "dreamlike" state was described by these parents as well as by Lindemann (1944) who studied grieving individuals. (b) Each of the stages of grieving was needed in order for these parents to work through the loss of the dreams they had held for their child, just as grieving individuals needed these stages to deal with the loss of their loved objects (Kubler-Ross 1973). (3) In this study, the adjustment process associated with the parenting of a severely handicapped child differed from the grieving process in the following respects: (a) Parents did not pass through the stages of grieving in the sequential manner described by Kubler-Ross (1973). They often returned to stages of denial, anger, guilt or bartering after once reaching the stage of acceptance. (b) The stages of bartering and guilt were less well defined among these parents than was suggested for grieving individuals (Kubler-Ross 1973). (4) The unique aspects of the adjustment process experienced by the parents of a severely handicapped child in this study were as follows: (a) The parents in this study reported continuing feelings of "aloneness" in their situation, while grieving individuals more often experienced an end to such feelings. (b) Grieving individuals studied by Kubler-Ross (1973) engaged in "doctor shopping" and an anger toward the medical profession, however, this behavior did not persist as it did for the parents in this study. (c) Bereaved individuals are typically allowed to express their emotions openly (Kubler-Ross 1973). Most of the parents in this study felt that society disallows them to express any negative feelings toward their child and further expects them to be "super parents." (5) The parents in this study were in general agreement about the needs they had with respect to the adjustment to their severely handicapped child. (a) They felt a need for a non-judgmental listener. More specifically, they expressed interest in meeting with other parents having handicapped children. (b) They wished to have the label "mentally retarded" changed to "mentally handicapped" in the hope that the latter would be less stigmatizing for their child.

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