Children with Special Needs and Their Families

Author: Chao-Yi Chen(Department of Special Education, National Taiwan Normal University)

Abstract：

This article focused on children with special needs and their families. Starting with the issue of children with special needs and their families, the article addressed the im-portant roles of families and the mutual influences between these children and their families. It further discussed the process of adaptation undergone by these children's parents. The third part discussed the pressures placed on the families of children with special needs, and the factors which affect families ability to handle those pressures, in-cluding: l)the level of the child's handicap; 2)the condition of the parents' marriage; 3)the attitude of the child's siblings; 4)the age of the child; and 5) the family's financial situation. The fourth section examined the approaches parents took in the following situations: l)the treatment they offer their children; 2)their attitudes toward their chil-dren; 3)the children's emotional adjustment; 4)the children's social adjustment; 5)the children's ability to interact with members of the opposite sex; and 6)the families long-term plans. In addition, the article attempts toward addressed early intervention program by the parents. Finally, the article offered resources available for parents in Tai-wan, United States, Japan, and Great Britain.

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