Current Edition : April, 2004

Relationship of Physically Challenged Institutionalized
Children with Parents

Neeru Sharma (Reader), Samridhi Arora (Lecturer),
Shaveta Bharti (Research Scholar) PG Deptt. of Home Science.,
University of Jammu, Jammu.

Abstract

A sample of 10 children the age group of 9-12 years was selected from an institute working for physically challenged children in Jammu (J&K). The study was undertaken with the purpose to assess the views of physically challenged children about their relationships with their parents using purposive sampling technique. Data was collected using Parent Child Relationship Scale and Interview Schedule. Results of the study revealed that children perceive their parents as protecting and loving and have positive and healthy relationships with their them..

Introduction

Children who are physically challenged need special care to overcome or reduce their disability. Parenting an exceptional child is unique in degree and intensity rather than in kind. Like all children exceptional children need love, care, guidance and protection from parents. The birth of an exceptional child adds a situation crisis, one that results from an unanticipated, traumatic event beyond parents control (Hoff,1978). Parents progress through six emotional stages upon discovering their child's exceptionality viz. disbelief, guilt, rejection, shame, denial and a feeling of helplessness upon discovering their child's exceptionality(McDowell,1976).

Parents must essentially learn to manipulate the environment for their children's benefit protecting them from social forces that conflict with their parenting philosophy and objectives. If the parents are supportive and encouraging and convey to the child that they are with them, then with patience optimism and understanding much of the restrictions placed by the impairment can be overcome. In such an environment the child will develop positive feelings about himself. Moreover parents who receive education through therapeutic programs, counseling or training courses help in caring a disabled child and in reducing his degree of disability.

Many institutions offer specialized support to children who are physically challenged. In the present study an attempt has been made to assess the views of physically challenged institutionalized children about their relationships with parents. Parents of these children were not approached as they were inaccessible and residing in far flung areas of Jammu.

Research methodology - Sample

A sample of 10 institutionalized children, including 7 boys and 3 girls in the age group of 9-12 years were selected using purposive sampling technique from an institute working for physically challenged children in Jammu.

Tools for data collection

Data was collected using following tools

1. Parent Child Relationship Scale (PCRs) devised by Nalini Rao (1989) was administered on children to study the relationships of children with their parents. The items of the scale are grouped into 10 fairly universal dimensions of children's experience of family interaction with the two-parent factor. The dimensions are: Protecting, Symbolic Punishment, Rejecting, Object Punishment, Demanding, Indifferent, Symbolic Reward, Loving, Object Reward and Neglecting.
2. Interview Schedule was prepared with the purpose of knowing more about the children.

Procedure for data collection

Visits were made to the institution by the researchers, so that initial rapport can be established with the respondents. After employing the tools the requisite data was collected and children were assured that the information collected will be used only for research purpose. Data obtained was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively.

Results

After interviewing children it was revealed that majority of the children (80%) had congenital physical deformities and rest 20% became physically challenged after birth. Seventy percent children received treatment before joining the institution at the age of 9, and others (30%) joined at the age of 10. In general, parents accompanied their children at the time of admission. All children made monthly visits to their respective homes the duration of which depended on the period of vacation. All the children were ambitious - boys wanted to become Doctors they wanted to treat the patients and girls wanted to become teachers. All were of the view that their parents were cooperative and helped them in achieving their aims. The main reason of their institutionalization was low economic status of parents.

Average scores on Parent Child Relationship Scale (PCRs) revealed that parents of all the children were protecting. They guarded, sheltered and shielded their children from situations perceived to be hostile and harmful. Parents tended to were many times symbolic punishing ie, they punished them (children) by not looking or talking to them in when they were wrong. Parents were also symbolic rewarding and loving and showed more affection to their child and were good and talked to them inn a warm and affectionate way.

Parents of all children were sometimes demanding, indifferent and object rewarding. Parents of all children wanted to have control over their child, they were also indifferent when they expressed an apathetic and passive behavior and functioning without giving either importance or interest in the child. Parents also gave surprise gifts to their children. They (parents) rarely rejected and neglected their child. They were rarely object-punished as they did not appear to dislike the interests and hobbies of their child, rarely left their child alone when in trouble.

Discussion

Results of the study revealed that majority of the children had congenital physical deformities. As said by Michel (1990) if a child's impairment is congenital and readily apparent at birth, it is often the mother who becomes primarily responsible for relating to the child and needs. All the children were ambitious and believed that their parents would be their facilitators. Parents valued their exceptional children's willingness to work toward their goals. They believed in their children's ability to overcome barriers (Marcus, 1977). All the children loved and appreciated their parents. The parents task is to form a loving tie with their children that enables the children to approach the world positively (Brooks, 1981).

Children in the present study responded that parents are helping, demanding and controlling. Parents helped them solve their problems but side by side also built up their confidence and encouraged them to take independent decisions. Parents perpetually adapted their parenting to fit their children's emerging needs and responded to the ever-changing influence of the society (Shea and Bauer, 1985).

Children in the present study responded that at times parents are neglecting, rejecting, object rewarding, object punishing and convey to the child that they are through thick and thin. Similar views are given by Shea and Bauer (1985) that parents guide their children's efforts to maintain the often precious balance between love and hate, acceptance and rejection work and idleness, kindness and cruelty, constructiveness and destructiveness, honesty and dishonesty, learning and ignorance openness and prejudice and self discipline and self indulgence. Successful exceptional parents are those who can enjoy their exceptional children, while feeling good about themselves. At such times the parent's sense of satisfaction and willingness to make adjustments for their children's sake is strong enough to overcome negative feelings (Searl, 1978).

Conclusion

It can be concluded that physically challenged children perceive their parents as the most influential persons in their lives and they have positive and healthy relationships with their parents. Children too have faced their disability with great courage and have worked hard at their institution.

Suggestions

Parents need to be given more support so that they are able to enhance the capabilities of their exceptional children. Special courses, programs should be organized for these parents so that they can help their children in overcoming their disability. Professionals can help parents learn about and understand their child's exceptionality, provide needed social emotional support and serve as a resource for information on the etiology of exceptionality.

REFERENCES

1. Brooks, J.B. 1981. The process of parenting. Palo Alto, Calif: Mayfield.
2. Hoff, L.E. 1978. People in crisis. Menlo Park, Calif: Addison. Wesley.
3. Marcus, L.M.1977. Pattern of coping in families of psychotic children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 47(3), 388-390.
4. Mc Dowell, R.L.1976. Parent Counselling: The state of the art. Journal of learning disabilities 9(10). 614-619.
5. Searl, S.J., 1978. Stages of parent reaction. Exceptional Parent 8(2): F27-F29.
6. Shea, T.M. and Bauer A. M.(1985). Parents and teachers of exceptional students. A handbook for involvement. Allyn and Bacon;Inc: London