Problemy rodzin dzieci niepełnosprawnych intelektualnie

Abstract

Problems of families of children intellectually disabled

Parents of intellectually disabled children struggle with many problems. They face trauma when the information is given by the doctor. There are several periods in parent’s emotions: shock, emotional crisis, and constructive adaptation to the situation. Parents of mentally ill children also face social isolation and stigmatisation. An important event in their lives is the start of their children’s education. Children start it in a special schools, other in normal schools and later they continue it in special technical schools or educational centers. The growing-up time of intellectually disabled children is the time of many parent’s indecisions connected with their children’s further education. Some of them take part in Therapy Classes, join communities like “Arka” or “Wiara i światło”. Reaching adulthood by intellectually disabled does not mean the end of parental care. Some of the disabled have their own families and start to work. Much more difficult is situation of those families, whose children are not independent and still need parental help. After parent’s death, people intellectually disabled usually go to residential institutions for the care of mentally handicapped children because there aren’t enough alternative places for people mentally ill. That is why the presence of an intellectually disabled child puts parents in a very difficult and specific situation during all their lives