Mental Retardation: A Study of the Reasons Why Seven Families Failed to Respond to Specialized Clinic Services at the New York Medical College Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospital, New York, New York, 1963–64
Abstract
Background of the Study. This study was prompted by the writer’s interest in the services to and the care and education of retarded children, particularly those children whose chronological ages range from preadolescent and adolescent to young adulthood. Interest here stems from the writer’s belief that if parents can be stimulated from passivity to that of being vigorously alive with a healthy interest in and understanding of their retarded child, they will not only seek help where it exists, but can also be instrumental in helping to establish or even create new avenues of resources for retarded children where the resources are needed. To bring about this stimulation requires in many instances education, and in some cases re-education of the parents to the specific needs of their child. The educational process can help the parents to learn how their defensive reactions can interfere and inhibit the child’s emotional and social growth. Re-education can help to alleviate strong feelings caused by previous parental adjustment by defense reactions, that is, by such things as denial, over-protectiveness, irrational guilt and ambivalence.
Subject Area
Social work|Social studies education|Individual & family studies
Recommended Citation
Hackett, James, "Mental Retardation: A Study of the Reasons Why Seven Families Failed to Respond to Specialized Clinic Services at the New York Medical College Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospital, New York, New York, 1963–64" (1964). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI30724999.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI30724999
