Stress and Stress Management in Families with Adopted Children who Have Severe Disabilities

Abstract

Qualitative research methods were used to investigate the sources and methods of dealing with stress in six families with adopted children who have severe developmental or multiple disabilities. These families had adopted from 2 to 28 children. Most of the families also included “birth children” and two included a foster child. Participant observation was used with the families and unstructured interviews were conducted with parents, adoption agency workers, state children's welfare workers, and counselors working with adoptive families. Management of daily household tasks and child care routines were not identified as stressful. However, interactions with school and medical personnel and other professionals were extremely stressful for all families interviewed, as were the difficulty in accessing appropriate services and concern about the availability of future services. Parents also identified medical crises and crises resulting from adolescents' behavior problems as time-limited stressful situations. Effective stress management techniques included household organizational systems and maintaining contact with other families with adopted children that have disabilities. In addition, a positive appraisal of their life circumstances appeared to contribute to the families' successful adjustment to potentially stressful situations. Implications for providing support to families with children with special needs, both adopted and nonadopted, are suggested.