Parents' experiences of official help and guidance in caring for a mentally handicapped child

Abstract

SUMMARY As it becomes more widely accepted that, wherever possible, care of the mentally handicapped child at home is a desirable goal, the support of an efficient network of community services becomes correspondingly more crucial. As well as an increased need for emotional and practical help, parents' roles as mediator between the child and official services, and as caretaker and educator, create additional needs for help, guidance, and cooperation with official services. A sample of 97 parents of mentally handicapped children replied to a postal questionnaire asking about the effects their child had on various aspects of family life, and their experience of services provided. Contacts with services were a major source of problems, which often assumed greater importance than problems arising more directly out of the child's handicap.