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This study examines the coping process of families with children with special needs. The purpose of the study was to develop a detailed description of the coping process of families who appear to be coping well with children who have physical disabilities. A multiple-case study qualitative research design was selected to allow for the unique stories of each family to emerge as they illustrate the complex nature of the coping process. A contextual stress and coping theoretical framework guided the study. Participants were recruited from a preschool program that mainstreams children with special needs. A pool of ten potential participants was identified by a selection team consisting of six school staff members. Five families were selected and interviewed using the theoretical sampling procedure outlined in the grounded theory approach developed by Glaser and Strauss. Data analysis followed this same procedural model. The study revealed the ongoing coping process to be an iterative cycle of events, perceptions, behavior, and personal growth. This process was found to be influenced by the core concept of shared traumas as they are evidenced in the themes of initiation to special needs, boundary defining events and everyday reminders. An additional concept of the mastery process of the interaction between perceptual and behavioral components, included cognitive coping processes, faith, boundary definition and external systems management style. Finally, the phenomenon of personal growth and change in world view was observed. / Master of Science

This thesis evaluated training groups for adoptive parents of special-needs children. It was hypothesized that training would influence parenting stress, stress symptoms, and marital satisfaction, and that helpfulness of training sections would depend upon the status of the participants' children (i.e., foster, adopted, or adoption in process). Data were collected from 15 participants who were sampled through agencies that typically interact with adoptive parents. Repeated measures ANOY As were computed to compare scores on the PSI/SF Parental Distress Subscale, OQ-45, and RDAS across three time intervals. No significant differences were found. Data from a scale of helpfulness were analyzed using descriptive statistics. There was a general trend such that foster parents reported the training groups as least helpful, adoptive parents reported them as more helpful, and participants in the process of adoption reported the highest ratings of helpfulness. Explanations for results are discussed along with implications and recommendations for future research.

The rise in popularity of work-life balance (WLB) as an essential determinant of one’s health, wellbeing and effectiveness in modern society has included research on the WLB of those caring for children with special needs. Most previous studies have however focused on investigating the WLB of parents of children with special needs and consequently, very few studies have looked into the WLB of the professionals who work with these children. The purpose of my study was therefore to close this gap in the literature by gaining some insight into the work-life experiences of professionals who work with special children. The study sought to unearth how work-life balance plays out in these professionals’ lives and also to discover the factors that influence their work-life balance. Another objective was to ascertain the challenges that they face in integrating their work and life domains and to bring to light the strategies that they use to cope with their various work-life demands. An inductive qualitative inquiry carried out through combined phenomenological and autoethnography research design was used to investigate the work-life experiences of a sample of professionals who work with special needs children in therapy, pre-primary and primary schools, in the Gauteng Province in South Africa. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to select participants for inclusion in the study. Data was collected through a series of unstructured in-depth interviews, unstructured observations, personal memory and photographs. Seven themes emerged from the findings of the study. The results also indicated that the majority of the sampled professionals who work with special children were experiencing work-life conflict due to the time-based and strain-based conflict that emanated from their work domains. These professionals’ WLB was also found to be mostly influenced by work-related factors as the work domain appeared to be their major source of conflict. The study also unearthed some very interesting and unconventional micro-level WLB strategies used by these professionals in their attempt to achieve greater WLB. An example of such strategies include the use of prayer and faith in God to reduce perceptions of conflict and enhance capacity to deal with life’s adversities. The findings from this study may therefore be used to develop and focus meso and macro level interventions to assist professionals who work with special needs children to better manage the various demands from their life domains. This will in turn ensure a healthier lifestyle for these professionals, which also has positive implications for the developmental outcomes of the children under their care. Moreover, enhancing these professionals’ ability to achieve WLB is anticipated to improve their motivation, satisfaction and retention. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Human Resource Management / MCom / Unrestricted

The problem of this study was to determine if involvement in lecture-discussion classes of group centered counseling would significantly alter anxiety level, aspects of self-concept, or knowledge of mental retardation in parents of moderately mentally retarded children.

Atsižvelgiant į šių dienų aktualijas ir realijas, šiame darbe aptariamos specialiųjų poreikių vaikų integruoto ugdymo sąlygos, išskiriami veiksniai, darantys įtaką sėkmingam integruotam specialiųjų poreikių vaikų ugdymui bei atskleidžiamas specialiųjų poreikių vaikų ugdytojų požiūris į integruotą ugdymą bendrojo lavinimo mokykloje, į bendrą SUP vaikų savijautą ir jų bendravimo aspektus. Tyrimo hipotezė: Specialiųjų poreikių vaikų ugdytojai daugiau teigiamai negu neigiamai vertina integruotą ugdymą. Tyrimo tikslas: atskleisti specialiųjų poreikių vaikų ugdytojų požiūrį į integruotą ugdymą bendrojo lavinimo mokykloje. Pagrindinės išvados: Pagrindiniam darbo tikslui kelta hipotezė pasitvirtino, todėl galima konstatuoti, kad specialiųjų poreikių vaikų ugdytojai integruotą ugdymą vertina daugiau teigiamai negu neigiamai. - SUP vaikų integracijai bendrojo lavinimo mokykloje atsižvelgiant į šiuolaikinius integracijos modelius ir teisinius pokyčius šalyje yra sudaromos pakankamai palankios sąlygos. Mokyklos bendruomenė turi galimybę lanksčiai parinkti ugdymo turinį, kurti individualias programas, parinkti mokymo metodus, skatinti specialiųjų poreikių mokinių kūrybinį aktyvumą. - pagrindiniai veiksniai, darantys įtaką sėkmingam specialiųjų poreikių vaikų integruotam ugdymui bendrojo lavinimo mokykloje: teigiamo pedagogų požiūrio į specialiųjų poreikių vaikus ir integruotą ugdymą formavimas; vaiko ypatingų poreikių pažinimas ir jų tenkinimo efektyvumas; didelis dėmesys specialiųjų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Considering modern-day topicalities and realities, the conditions of integrated education of special needs children are discussed, the factors having influence on the successful integrated education of special needs children are distinguished and special needs children's educators attitudes towards integrated education in comprehensive school, common feelings of special needs children and the aspects of their intercourse is revealed. Hypothesis of research: special needs children's educators value the integrated education more positively than negatively. Aim of research: to reveal special needs children's educators’ attitudes towards integrated education in comprehensive school. Main conclusions: The hypothesis of the main aim of the work has confirmed, so it can be stated that educators value the integrated education more positively than negatively. - sufficiently beneficial conditions are established for the integration of special needs children in comprehensive school considering modern models of integration and legal changes in the country. The school community has the possibility to choose the content of education supply. To create individual programmes, to choose the methods of teaching, to encourage pupils’ creative activity. - the main factors having influence on successful integrated education of special needs children in comprehensive school are following: formation of positive attitude of educators towards the children of special needs and integrated education... [to full text]

The purpose of the study was to find out how special needs children are being included in theeducational settings in Cameroon and the challenges they face and to understand the perspectivesof both Social workers and teachers on an inclusive educational system.The theory used in this study was the ecological system theory. The theory explains how specialneeds children are being included in mainstream schools. This study used a qualitative descriptivedesign to describe teachers' and social workers’ perceptions and their role within inclusiveeducation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three teachers and three social workersvia Zoom (an online meeting platform). The results were analyzed using themes.The findings from this study indicated that teachers and social workers feel they have differentroles and responsibilities in the education of children with special needs. The study also revealedthat challenges with finance, lack of manpower, and government complacency in budgeting andimplementing policies were part of the impediments to inclusive education in Cameroon.From the research findings, there is a huge deficit in inclusive education in Cameroon; there is stillsystematic seclusion of physically challenged children from obtaining quality education due toenvironmental, financial, structural, and political deficiencies, concerted effort must be put in placeto ensure education for all is achieved.

This study investigates the use of Indonesian gamelan with participants who have special needs or with special populations, and considers what the playing of gamelan music has to offer music therapy practice. The gamelan is an ensemble of instruments on which the traditional music of Indonesia is played, consisting of mainly tuned and un-tuned percussion instruments tuned to four, five or seven tone scales. Gamelan are being increasingly used for music activities with participants who have special needs, such as learning disabilities, mental health problems or sensory impairments, and with special populations, such as prisoners. Whilst aims are broadly educational, therapeutic benefits are also being noted. There is little research into the effectiveness of this use of gamelan; the therapeutic benefits have not been researched within the context of music therapy. As an experienced music therapist and gamelan musician, I considered that investigating the potential for using gamelan within music therapy would produce new knowledge that could extend the practice of music therapy. Various qualitative methods within a naturalistic paradigm were used to investigate current and past practice of gamelan playing with special needs groups and to identify the therapeutic benefits. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with gamelan tutors working in this area and a music therapy project using gamelan with a group of children who had learning difficulties was undertaken by the author. Using a thematic approach to the analysis of data, the key features of gamelan playing which have relevance for music therapy practice were identified. Gamelan playing was found to have a range of therapeutic benefits which can be used intentionally by a music therapist to address therapeutic aims. It was found firstly that the playing of traditional gamelan music can be used for specific therapeutic purposes and secondly, that the music and instruments can be adapted and used within various music therapy approaches and for participants with a range of disabilities. A set of guiding principles are also proposed for the use of this new music therapy practice.

The purpose of the essay Inclusion of children with special needs in after school activites. Is to examine if there is differences in how schools in one township works with inclusion of special needs children in after school activities. My results show that all of the schools in the survey in township X works with inclusion in the schooland after school activates. Forms where sent to eleven schools and nine choose to be a part of the survey. The after school teachers agreed that more planning is needed and more time to be able to get a working operation. They also agreed that more resources are needed for children with specialneeds and argueif they have extra personnel support during schoolhours, should they also have it during after school activates. In the essay i have used methods such as sending out surveyforms and making observations on different schools. / Syftet med uppsatsen Inkludering av barn med behov av särskilt stöd på fritidshemmen. Är att undersöka om det finns skillnader på hur skolor i samma kommun arbetar med inkludering av barn med behov av särskilt stöd på fritidshemmen. Mitt resultat visar att samtliga undersökta skolor i kommunen X arbetar med en inkluderande skolabåde i skolan och på fritids. Jag skickade ut enkäter till elva skolor i kommunen X och det var nio skolor som valde att vara med i min undersökning. Fritidslärarna är eniga om att det krävs mer planering och mer tid för att få en fungerande verksamhet. De är också överens om att det behövs fler resurser till barnen som har behov av särskilt stöd och om de har resurser under skoltiden ska de också ha enresurs under fritidstiden. Jag har i uppsatsen använt mig utav metodernaenkäter ochobservationer på olika skolor.

Caring for a child with disabilities and special needs can be a challenging and arduous responsibility. Many parents are unprepared to cope with such event and encounter problems with their own health and psychological well- being. Conversely, when parents and families are empowered with appropriate tools and techniques they can overcome these difficult circumstances through the use of health coping strategies. This study will examine the use of coping strategies and the impact on parent’s psychological health. The literature review in this study will discuss coping practices, and the adverse affects on parent’s emotional welfare. The research was conducted with eight parents who participated in an audio-recording, face-to-face interview with open-ended questions. The data of this study was collected and examined by utilizing qualitative methods. Interview data was transcribed into written form to explore and identify common themes. Researcher used a qualitative approach to understand participant’s experiences. The study discovered four common themes: 1. Social support systems, 2. Family Dynamics, 3. Spirituality, and 4. Positive Thinking. The findings of this study may increase awareness and understanding of healthy coping strategies utilized by parents of children with special needs and how it may impact their psychological well-being. The research also addressed the limitations of the study, the significance of the study for social work and the future recommendations for the social work profession and future research.