A Study of the Family Caring and Experience in Using Early Intervention Service with Severe Mental Retarded Children

• Main Authors: WU,HSIAO-HUA, 吳曉華
• Other Authors: CHAO,MEI-YIN
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2006
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/67448979296034943547

碩士 === 玄奘大學 === 社會福利學系碩士班 === 94 === This study adopted a qualitative method of research and the purposive sampling with six families having 0-12 year’s old children with severe mental retardation, living in the whole Hsinchu (county and city). A semi-structural depth interview will be given to ten mothers and fathers in order to understand their experience in taking care of those children with mental retardation at home as well as the burden’s influence on their family. As well the interview will help us comprehend the kind of barriers and help the latter families received the early intervention in medical care services, and furthermore understand whether or not the early intervention service given really reduced the pressure floating under each household’s roof. The outcome of the study: 1. Experience of families in charge of children suffering from severe mental retardation (1) The initial stage is the impossibility to face the reality, the handicapped child becomes the parents pain; (2) The heavy burden of reality: Parents show no pain, and try to be strong (3) Lost future: What will happen if I am not here anymore? 2. Taking care of the child, and its effects on the family: (1) Negative effects on: work, economy, psychology, marriage, recreation, health, other children, give birth again or not etc. (2) Positive effects: It is not going to be always dark (good weather will come back), and the long illness makes the patient a good doctor. 3. Experience in Early Intervention Service for families in charge of children with severe mental retardation: (1) Negative effects: Lack of announcement of early period medical care; the estimation process waists a lot of time and energy; There is also a lack of qualified specialists; children suffering from severe mental retardation are often refused access to normal education; The application procedures for economic aid (subsidies) is long and complicated, limited, and often subject to discrimination. (2) Positive effects: The health center eventually becomes the parents social circle; The aid given by early intervention and day-care services allow parents to breath a little, the child is not afraid of interacting with strangers anymore; medical and transportation subsidies reduce parents economic stress; The competence of the medical service people reduce parental difficulties. (3) Nowadays, the early intervention can only focus on the child and not on the whole family, still reducing the parental burden, thus able to give parents a break. 4. Needs of families in charge of children with severe mental retardation; economic support, necessity of specific services, informative needs, specialized and spiritual needs.