The problems and needs of parents with a young mentally handicapped child

Abstract

Nine personal interviews were conducted with mothers of mentally and physically handicapped children. A postal questionnaire was designed to appraise the problems and needs of parents with a mentally handicapped child aged twelve or under living at home.
The questionnaires were distributed through the National Society for mentally Handicapped Children and 441 usable replies were analysed.
The questionnaire covered the composition, social class and accommodation of the child’s family; the nature, timing and source of diagnoses given; sources of help contacted; educational attendance and its usefulness; problems arising from the child's slow development in such areas as speech, movement, feeding and toilet-training; problems relating to the whole family, such as discipline, siblings, parental health, the child's sex, absence of the mother and the future; social contacts with relatives and outside the family; specific requests for help.
It was found that these parents of mentally handicapped children would have liked more help than they had received. The most commonly expressed need was for help with the child's speech. Other frequently made requests were for more information about the child, his diagnosis and prognosis; more access to professional advice and help; that such sources of help should be more widely known, and should go when possible to the family rather than waiting until parents sought them out.
It was concluded that some of the needs of these parents and others like them could be met by the implementation of the Court Report. The parents of a mentally handicapped child need to be consulted and to contribute to decision-making involving their child. They need as much information and support as possible, from the time of initial diagnosis throughout the child's life.