Attitudes of Parents on the Inclusion of Children with Mental Retardation (The case of 6 parents in and around Addis Ababa)
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Date
2000-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study focused on the attitudes of parents on the inclusion of children with mental
retardation with objectives of finding out the scene on the inclusion of the children at
home level, neighborhood and the school or training in the community. The method used
was qualitative including feelings of 6 parents in Addis Ababa and the surrounding rural
community. Their statuses are one educated and high economical status, two medium
level with farm economy; two single mothers and a couple with low education and low
economy. Variety is observed among the children whose problem of intensity ranges
from mild to sever levels of adaptive behaviors. Their types and chronological age levels
were; two girls with Down Syndromes of age 7&11; a girl with microcephally of age 23;
age 7 boy of multiple disability with brain damage; a boy with hydrocephally of age 27,
with multiple disability; and a boy of age 25 with an unidentified type but with moderate
retardation.
The findings showed the parents' attitudes to be very similar but one parent although
uneducated and from low income is positive and has a quality relationship with the child.
This created the possibility for the inclusion of her child at home and as well as in a
regular school, except the isolation in the neighborhood. The major factors for generation
and maintenance of positive attitudes were; parental style of the mother's (the way the
parents were brought up), educational background, exposure during childhood
development to have virtues like intuition, love and tolerant behavior together with the
existence of a CBR intervention of an NGO in the area. The prevalent attitudes on the
inclusion of the children at all levels are surprisingly negative. It was also observed that
there was a distinct gender difference when it comes to sharing of responsibility and
caring for children. The roles played by fathers is negligible. The contributing causes
are the psychological coping mechanism of the parents, lack of awareness on the causes
and treatment, lack of early intervention, and any community programs concernmg
training or education to the children, parents, the neighbors and siblings.
The study has recommended detail intervention strategies from macro to micro level with
the implementation of the rights of children with disabilities, parent empowerment,
sensitization of the community and the neighborhood, individual intervention to parents
(counseling), early intervention, training of education to the child, Child to child
programs to the siblings in the neighborhood and in the school
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Keywords
Children with Mental Retardation