EXPERIENCES OF PARENTS WITH CHILDREN HAVING INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Abstract

The research was based on the experiences of parents whose children were studying in the mentally retarded institutes of Lahore. It was a sample study considered on 126 respondents (parents/guardians whose MR children were studying in institutes of Lahore). The study covers different experiences of the respondents related to their MR children. It also includes some suggestions and recommendations from the respondents to improve the mentally retarded children skills. The study purpose was to assess the feelings which the respondents have, conditions and experiences of the respondents which they face throughout their lives socially, psychologically and economically. In this study, simple random sampling was used as sampling technique and interview schedule was used as tool for data collection.

Out of the total respondents, 83% were females and 17% were males. All of the respondents were having the feeling of sorrow, but instead of this feeling, families (70%) showed positive reaction and faced this misfortune positively. Marital life of more than half the respondents (71%) remained normal. Almost two third of the respondents (62%) feel friendly behavior for their MR Child. More than two third (71%) of the respondents have been involved in their mentally retarded children pre-school activities. An overwhelming majority (77%) of the respondents told that they were having enough financial resources for upbringing their MR children. The parents of MR children are optimistic about the future of their children but there is a need to provide them a mechanism or platform (Social, Economic, and Political) to voice their concerns, so that they can be in a position to better plan their MR children future.