Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Louisville, 2004. / Kent School of Social Work. Vita. "May 2004." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 203-216).

Family life with handicapped child The main objective of this thesis is to cover the day-to-day life with mentally handicapped offspring on the threshold of adulthood from the parent's perspective. The intention is to gain an insight into experiences, emotions, and motives of disabled children's parents, for the purpose of clarifying both positive and negative points of life with the handicapped. The main goal is to focus on the following issues - which impact has this life on the parents, how their everyday life is changed, and how their attitudes and perception of themselves has been changed. Another point is to ascertain how different opinions of mothers and fathers are. The thesis consists of two main parts. In the first one, the topic is anchored in the theoretical background. This theoretical part is based on the relevant topics published in specialized reference books. In the second one, it is followed by the analysis and interpretation of two consecutive interviews with the parents. This empirical part is processed by the methods of oral history. It also contains the references to the findings published in bibliography. The conclusion contains methodology analysis and summary of key points describing the life with handicapped child. The life is considered to be psychologically, financially, and time...