Strengths of Parents with Retarded Children

Interactional processes in families with disruptive boys: Patterns of direct and indirect influence

“…Within a family network, indirect influences involve setting events such as each family member's social exchanges with the other member of the mother-father-child triad (Lewis, Feiring, & Weinraub, 1981). The father's indirect influence on the child as mediated through the mother's behaviors toward the child illustrates a type of indirect influence that was documented in various contexts of maternal care (Abbott & Meredith, 1986;Pederson, 1981;Quinton, Rutter, & Liddie,. 1984;Unger & Wandersman, 1988).…”

Caring for a child with a learning disability born into the family unit: women's recollections over time

“…These effects, however, are counterbalanced by the recognition of the benefits gained from caring in adverse circumstances (Hong, Seltzer, and Krauss 2001), rising to the challenge (Larson 1998), coping effectively (Folkman 1997), and deriving satisfaction from successfully overcoming difficult and enduring family conditions (Helff and Glidden 1998). Abbott and Meredith (1986) argued that caring can result in reduced conflict and enhanced cohesiveness, whilst others point to life-enhancing possibilities (Scorgie and Sobsey 2000), long-term caring facilitating empowerment through the acquisition of expertise, skills, and confidence, the basis for developing more pertinent values and relationships to cope with unknown vicissitudes (Aldwin 1994). The contexts in which mothers operate are clearly determined by individual, family, and social network factors, which contribute to the established mothering framework in which she operationalizes her perspectives on the learning disabled child as being within the family.…”

Families of Disabled Children in the Israeli Kibbutz: A Community Which Provides for All Needs

“…Other sources of stress often reported include time demands, prolonged burden of care, stigma, long-term uncertainty, reduction in social relationships, lack of social support, financial constraints, reductions in professional opportunities, adjustment problems of siblings, and lack of information and services (Friedrich & Friedrich, 1981;Kazak & Marvin, 1984;Schilling, Gilchrist, & Schinke, 1984;Slater & Wilder, 1986;Wilder, 1981). However, some researchers provide a more optimistic outlook, reporting no apparent negative effects resulting from raising a disabled child and describing many of these parents as coping and adjusting successfully as individuals or family units (e.g., Abbott & Meredith, 1986;Dunlap & Hollinsworth, 1977;Hymovich & Baker, 1985;Longo & Bond, 1984;Salisbury, 1987;Wikler, Wasow, & Hatfield, 1983).…”