A grandmother tells of her emotional reaction to and gradual acceptance of her severely handicapped grandson. She notes her initial reaction, her anger and hostility, her gradual acceptance of the situation, her recognition of the child as a person, and her involvement with the child. (DB)

The mother of a disabled teenager and a counselor for disabled students notes the frequent tendency of parents to be overinvolved with their handicapped child, recommends accepting the child with his/her handicap, and recounts her own experience realizing that her son's struggle for survival with dignity was ultimately his alone. (DB)

The younger sister of Down's Syndrome girl describes her guilt from growing up with a family that did not encourage open discussion of feelings. She eventualy learned from other siblings how to deal with her negative feelings. (CL)

Parents of children with disabilities must face the loss of their "dream" child and begin the process of grieving. Parents may experience a significant loss of self-esteem and an increase in depression, guilt, anger, and feelings of helplessness. (CL)

The author, a chaplain, discusses the impact of having a handicapped child on the religious faith of the parents and suggests that faith may intensify the process of adjustment. (CL)

The directory lists 88 parent-to-parent support programs for parents of children with disabilities mostly in the states of Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming. (DB)

Discussed are some of the thoughts and feelings that parents of handicapped children experience. (SB)

The mother of a severely physically handicapped child relates her feelings upon learning of her child's handicap. (SBH)

The article identifies 14 rights parents of disabled children must allow themselves which include the right to mourn, the right to feel one is doing the best one can, the right to organize one's life for one's own satisfaction, and the right to a sense of humor. (DB)

The case study describes counseling for a family whose 7-year old refused to go to school and whose parents had never really come to terms with the death of their physically handicapped son. (CL)

The author, the mother of a cerebral palsied child, considers the conflicts which arise for parents in using respite care. Noted among the reasons why respite care use is difficult for parents are feelings of guilt, conflicts in mothering, self-punishment for having a handicapped child, identification with the child, and separation from the child.…

The mother of a multiply handicapped child relates how her attitude and approach to life changed from being passive to that of being assertive in obtaining services for her daughter. Initial reactions upon hearing of her child's handicaps are recounted, and steps to take in dealing with professionals are considered. (SBH)

A parent-to-parent support program was begun to provide early support for parents of handicapped children. New parents are carefully matched with helping parents, who have been trained in communication, resource finding, and referral making. (CL)

The mother of a child with chronic kidney disease describes how selfishness--in the form of taking care of herself--has enabled her to survive and her son to develop independence. (CL)

The mother of a retarded child relates her experiences in adjusting to her child's handicap and offers an excerpt of a journal she kept while participating in group counseling for parents of disabled children. (SBH)