Plyrhology
in
the
Schools
1981.
18,
201.207
PARENTALPLEGIA
JOSEPH
N.
MURRAY
Kent State University
CHARLES
J.
CORNELL
Aurora
City
Schools
While mental and physical handicaps directly affect many children, a more subtle
secondary condition often occurs within the families of handicapped children.
As
parents develop coping mechanisms for the various types, degrees, and stages of their
youngster’s handicapping condition, the dynamics
of
the family often are affected.
The authors
of
this article use the term parentalplegia to focus on the secondary
parental problems caused by children’s primary handicapping condition, and
use
specific case studies
of
a mental retardate and two cerebral palsied children to help
il-
lustrate how parents’ behavior is often clearly modified as a result of their child’s han-
dicapping condition. With misinformation and distortion of thought serving as
precursors
of
parentalplegia, the authors suggest ways to remediate the effects of this
problem through the use of educational and affective strategies. The article hopefully
will
remind child study persons of the need for a holistic approach to working with the
handicapped.
Children having conditions of mental retardation
or
other handicaps involving
physical deficiencies are likely to be the causes of a secondary handicapping condition in-
volving the parents. Parents whose children are affected by such disorders as mental
retardation, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy,
or
Down’s syndrome are confronted
with a set of variables surrounding their child and his handicap which often affects
parents’ mind sets, their behavior, and family interaction. The authors have chosen the
term parentalplegia to describe a secondary psychophysiological (stress induced) condi-
tion that evolves among parents of handicapped children. Parentalplegia seems to be
caused by an inability on the part of parents to adjust to the handicap of their children,
and may be recognized by extremes
in
resulting parental attitudes toward their son’s
or
daughter’s handicap. The true significance of the term parentalplegia is seen
in
parents
whose basic adaptability and efficiency in daily living is radically affected by their in-
ability
to
adjust effectively
to
the handicapping condition of their child.
PARENTAL ATTITUDES
Handicapped people and those closest to them often are affected by both societal
and individual attitudes of the nonhandicapped (Safford, 1975). Feelings and attitudes
toward the handicapped by nonhandicapped, often formed through fear and lack of un-
derstanding, can and
do
have a negative effect on the “mind sets” of the handicapped and
those in their immediate environment. (“Mind set,” as used in this article, refers to the
manner
in
which an individual perceives persons, places, and things.) This, in turn, often
modifies the “behavior” of these persons, causing them to act, react, and interact
in
ways
greatly different from persons not touched by the concept of “handicap.”
After parents find that they have given birth
to
a child with a mental and/or physical
handicap, they begin to experience many feelings both appropriate and inappropriate.
Guilt and grief head the list of emotions that these parents feel (Gardner, 1971;
Wakefield, 1978; Wann, 1978). They are sorry and they wonder what they did that
caused a tragedy to enter their lives. Other initial feelings include anxiety, fear, and
repulsion (Debuskey, 1970; Spock, 1965). All of these emotions are appropriate, but only
Requests for reprints should be sent to Joseph
N.
Murray, Dept. of Graduate Education, Counseling,
&
Personnel Services, Kent State University, Kent
OH
44242.
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