A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree M.A. (Counselling Psychology) in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, 2004. / This study investigated families of physically disabled children. Birth has always been anticipated with great excitement and high expectations for the future. But the discovery that the child has a disability changes everything. The family into which this disabled child is born undergoes major changes, as they have to accommodate such a child. Siblings compete with the disabled child's needs for parental attention, and are required to integrate him/her into the neighbourhood. Parents on the other hand are vulnerable, insecure about raising such a child. They are pushed to their financial, physical and emotional limits.
This research studied 23 caregivers of disabled children who received disability grant. Caregivers included mothers, aunts, grandmothers and siblings. The physically disabled children attended mainstream education schools. Due to their condition they encountered a number of problems. Some left school, leaving caregivers devastated. Some caregivers shared a variety of traumatic experiences with regard to their task. Other caregivers seemed unaware of such feelings and had never received any form of support and guidance in dealing with these feelings.
The study assisted in making unconscious feelings conscious. The ways caregivers used to manage and cope with their disabled children were explored. These were regarded as expected or 'normal' reactions. Furthermore, participants were introduced to resourceful places where they would receive professional help with regard to raising such children whenever they needed such services. / National Research Foundation
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uzulu/oai:uzspace.unizulu.ac.za:10530/303 |
| Date | January 2004 |
| Creators | Sifama, Lydia Jabulile |
| Contributors | Dhlomo-Sibiya, R.M. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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