Parents Coping with Genetically Handicapped Children: Use of Early Recollections

Abstract

When faced with the reality of having a handicapped child, parents initially experience a variety of feelings: shock, disbelief, fear, anger, sadness, guilt, etc. Intervention with families to facilitate their adjustment in the early crisis period when they first learn about their child's handicapping condition relies on an understanding of how the parents view their own situation. Parents' early memories, thought to be a key to understanding the unique perception and feelings of the parents of a handicapped child, were investigated with 58 parents of genetically disordered children who were diagnosed and evaluated at a genetics clinic. Results suggest the usefulness of this technique in uncovering the true feelings of parents, identifying critical concerns, and predicting future difficulties for families.