Omar, Yusuf (PhD)Gebretensay, Mekdes2018-08-092023-11-052018-08-092023-11-052000-06http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/11399This 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 schoolenChildren with Mental RetardationThesis