5th Week Understanding of Disability PDF

Understanding of Disability 2024-2025 Fall Semester 5th Week – Reactions to Disability Hikmet UCGUN, PT, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation (Eng) Faculty of Health Sciences Istanbul Atlas University...

Understanding of Disability 2024-2025 Fall Semester 5th Week – Reactions to Disability Hikmet UCGUN, PT, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation (Eng) Faculty of Health Sciences Istanbul Atlas University © Hikmet UCGUN / May not be copied or reproduced without permission. Being a Parent of a Child with a Disability Every individual who wants to have a child dreams of a healthy baby Often, the “dreams related to child” which begin even before pregnancy turn into disappointment, and the news that the child will have a disability leads to feelings such as frustration, guilt, and despair Being a Parent of a Child with a Disability Diagnoses such as cerebral palsy, autism, and mental deficiency are issues that parents cannot bring an answer to: ✓ Why did that happen? ✓Did it occur due to something the parents did? ✓Will there be no improvement at all? These are questions that come to mind, answers to which are found unacceptable Psychological Reactions to Disability 1) Shock 2) Anxiety 3) Denial 4) Depression 5) Internalized Anger 6) Acknowledgment 7) Adjustment Psychological Reactions to Disability 1. The first reaction is shock. It is explained as the psychic numbness response of the individual in the face of a sudden and serious physical disorder 2. Anxiety is the second reaction to the situation. It is characterized as panic that occurs when the magnitude of the situation is realized Psychological Reactions to Disability 3. Denial, on the other hand, is a defensive response to the problem to deal with the anxiety that arises when the seriousness of the situation is understood. The individual denies the existence of the existing problem 4. Then the person with disability enters the depression stage, mourning the loss of the body part Psychological Reactions to Disability 5. In the internalized anger stage, the person with a disability directs his/her anger towards himself by blaming himself/herself 6. In the acknowledgment stage, cognitive acceptance of disability is achieved and the self is redefined with limitations in functionality 7. During the adjustment stage, emotional acceptance of the disability takes place. A behavioral adaptation to the perceived new life situation is achieved and the individual actively integrates into social life Reactions of Parents to Disability The family’s reactions after learning about the child’s disability and the process of accepting the child are essential for both the family and the other stages of the life of the person with disability In the literature, it is stated that the reactions of families with children with disability when they learn about the disability follow the processes of shock, denial, pain and depression Avoidance Stage In this period, parents experience such problems as numbness, shock, adjustment disorders, insomnia, memory problems, loss of appetite, and emotional variability, and they tend to deny their circumstances In this period parents question what they are going through and they try to understand the reasons In addition, they do not want to believe that they have faced such a situation Confrontation Stage - I The emotions that parents feel at this stage are fear, anxiety, anger and guilt «Guilt is a common reaction in the grief process» Especially in this period, it is seen that the sense of responsibility for the well-being of the child is felt as guilt Failure to prevent their child’s disability undermines the self-esteem of parents, who develop several irrational feelings and thoughts about the reasons for their child’s disability Confrontation Stage - II For example, thoughts such as “my child was born with a disability because my choice of doctor was wrong” or “my child was born with a disability because I couldn’t pay enough attention to myself” increases the feeling of guilt During this period, parents show extreme vulnerability and sensitivity in their relations with their environment The pain experienced can change the parents, causing the spouses to experience another feeling of loss They grieve not only because the child has a disability, but also for the changing family system Accommodation Stage At this phase, the harmony lost between the parents begins to be redeveloped Parents learn to adapt to the complex reshaping of their lifestyles, self-perceptions, economic security, belief systems, and all phases of loss Problems Faced by Families with Children with Disability Grief is a normal process; although the families are expected to adapt to the disability thereafter, differences may be observed in the family These differences are the results of the attitudes developed by the family towards the disability Positive attitudes bring with them careful and loving behaviors Problems Faced by Families with Children with Disability The disability increases the stress, anxiety and depression levels of parents and creates conflict between spouses There are various factors that determine what kind of problems the family will experience or avoid These include the character of the child with a disability, the level of the family’s perception of social support, and their economic status Problems Faced by Families with Children with Disability Disability can often require radical changes in the daily routines of caregivers due to the workload it causes This change can often be in a way that produces dependence and creates detrimental psychological and social effects Problems Faced by Families with Children with Disability The child’s care and education needs, and on the other hand, the concerns about the child’s future, affect the mental health of the parents negatively The problems experienced by families in four categories: ✓Financial Issues ✓Psychological Issues ✓Health Problems ✓Social Issues I. Financial Issues Families can emerge due to the disabilities of children In case of a disability, the expenses of caregiving, education, materials etc. can affect parents in terms of finances Families may waive from new job opportunities in order not to stay away from the service systems they employ for their children; they may also have to choose part-time jobs to take care of their children or to spend more time with them II. Psychological Issues When families find out that their child has a condition/disability, parents can give emotional reactions such as shock or denial In addition, parents can experience emotional distress while they try to explain the disability to their parents and social environment III. Health Problems Parents can suffer from health problems due to the stress they experience Physiological problems such as increased myotonic reaction, high blood pressure, instant changes in appetite, nervous system disorders, ongoing stomach ailments, migraine, headaches and insomnia are accompanied with emotional and psychological disorders including; Mental processes such as inability to concentrate on a task, distraction, forgetfulness, excessive daydreaming, as well as anger, crying for no reason, fears, withdrawal, inconsistency between behaviors, aggression, and depression IV. Social Issues These are the negative reactions stemming from social environment that are shown to the parents due to the disability of their children In addition, the shame felt by the sibling/s due to the disability is also among these problems Psychological problems such as protective behavior, rejection, spending less time with other family members due to a child with condition/disability, feeling guilty by believing that they are responsible for the child may increase the tension and conflict between family members The Role of Professionals in Helping Parents in Adaptation Being able to help a person with disability requires adopting a holistic approach Parents need to receive information on diagnosis, intervention, daily caregiving, equipment of intervention, their future, how to explain disability to others, planning the health service to be received, and its impact on the family The Role of Professionals in Helping Parents in Adaptation Informing the parents that their child has a disability that will continue for the entire life is a very challenging task for clinicians The diagnosis comes with pain, trauma, and stigmatization For this reason, field workers need special skills to support parents when they feel anger, lack of belief and frustration The Role of Professionals in Helping Parents in Adaptation Some criteria for the approach of professionals towards parents positively impact their participation in the process: 1. The fact that the one-to-one interviews with the parents in the private room contain realistic and positive information about the child’s diagnosis and prognosis increases the participation of the parents in the process The Role of Professionals in Helping Parents in Adaptation Some criteria for the approach of professionals towards parents positively impact their participation in the process: 2. It is recommended to ask open-ended questions in interviews. Not every parent may interpret the same situation in the same way. In this context, knowing what the parent understands will enable the professional to determine what the parent needs The Role of Professionals in Helping Parents in Adaptation Some criteria for the approach of professionals towards parents positively impact their participation in the process: 3. Parents need clear and precise information when they are involved in the process. Accordingly, it is important that the professional convey to the parent that he/she will give honest information about the child now and in the future The Role of Professionals in Helping Parents in Adaptation Some criteria for the approach of professionals towards parents positively impact their participation in the process: 4. Understanding the emotions of parents and giving them empathic responses en able them to cope with this process in a healthy way The Role of Professionals in Helping Parents in Adaptation Some criteria for the approach of professionals towards parents positively impact their participation in the process: 5. Parents may have unrealistic thoughts that they can do something for their child’s recovery. Therefore, it is important for professionals to explain to parents that they are not the only ones experiencing this condition. By helping them communicate with other parents, they should provide supportive and clear information on how they can be more helpful to their children The Role of Professionals in Helping Parents in Adaptation Some criteria for the approach of professionals towards parents positively impact their participation in the process: 6. This is a very concerning process. Support from professionals helps parents cope with anxiety, grieve, and acceptance. With the acceptance stage, parents become able to share this painful experience with others, which includes stigmatization. Sharing information helps families move into a phase of adjustment that allows them to accept their social realities and “rewrite” their stories with support from their environment. Thus, parents become more actively involved in the process Attitudes and Acceptance of Children towards Their Peers with Disabilities Peer relations bear great importance for individuals with disability to have a place in social life Although children are members of the society, it is essential to know how they behave to their peers with disability Attitudes and Acceptance of Children towards Their Peers with Disabilities Teachers defined peer bullying as violence, rejection, harassment and pressure: 1. They stated that inclusive students mostly suffered from emotional and verbal bullying, which was caused by the fact that they were introverted, had difficulty in socializing, and were insufficient in expressing themselves Attitudes and Acceptance of Children towards Their Peers with Disabilities Teachers defined peer bullying as violence, rejection, harassment and pressure: 2. It is seen that inclusive students state that they usually have good friendship relations, but experience disagreements occasionally. Those who state that their friendship relations are worse think that the reason is their exclusion from games Attitudes and Acceptance of Children towards Their Peers with Disabilities Teachers defined peer bullying as violence, rejection, harassment and pressure: 3. It is reported that inclusive students mostly suffer from emotional or verbal bullying, but that they are also performing physical bullying as they hit or spit at their peers Attitudes and Acceptance of Children towards Their Peers with Disabilities Presenting examples of behavior about the characteristics of various disability groups, what their needs are and how these needs will be met with these and similar materials will increase peer acceptance and have a positive effect on the attitude of the society Attitudes of the Society towards Individuals with Disability The life of the family which changes with the disability is directly related to the viewpoint of the society towards disability Even in the same society, attitudes and behaviors towards disability change over time The source of this differentiation of the perspective towards disability is the dominant ideological understanding of disability Attitudes of the Society towards Individuals with Disability Individuals with disability experience problems not only in cities but also in rural areas The problems experienced by individuals in rural areas, especially in cities, differ according to the social structure These problems stem from social attitudes and behaviors Attitudes of the Society towards Individuals with Disability Cultural factors affect the treatment pat tern chosen by parents for their children with disability and their understanding of helping them For example, in western culture autism is attributed to bio- medical reasons, whereas it is considered as karma in India Cultural factors influence the way parents think about their children and disability, as well as their participation in treatment Attitudes of the Society towards Individuals with Disability In Saudi Arabia, it was observed that mothers explained the reasons for various disabilities their children have with cultural (djinns) and religious elements Attitudes of the Society towards Individuals with Disability Some parents in Turkey and Pakistan seem to believe that cultural factors such as evil eye and djinns cause disability Attitudes of the Society towards Individuals with Disability Attitudes towards individuals with disability are usually negative Individuals with disability experience certain problems due to these negative attitudes and behaviors, and can suffer from exclusion and stigmatization Attitudes of the Society towards Individuals with Disability Even young children have negative attitudes towards people with disabilities and that people with disabilities are bullied However, it is also stated that children with normal development are willing to be friends with individuals with disabilities or differences if they are encouraged to help Attitudes of the Society towards Individuals with Disability Generation Z has a positive attitude towards individuals with disability in general, this level is still low and at the edge Attitudes of the Society towards Individuals with Disability Several studies measure that the attitude of young people towards people with disability is positive in general; however, there are studies revealing that people with disability experience various problems arising from social prejudices and attitudes such as exclusion, being pitied, being seen as a burden, stigmatization and discrimination Attitudes of the Society towards Individuals with Disability There is also a gender difference in attitudes towards individuals with disability For example, it was stated that women have more positive attitudes than men Disability at the Workplace One of the most important areas where the negative perspective towards individuals with disability causes problems is work life Although the legal regulations regarding the employment of individuals with disability aim to create a system free from discrimination, negative attitudes and discrimination continue to exist in this area Disability at the Workplace The general attitudes of the society towards individuals with disability have an impact on all sub-areas in which they continue their lives Due to the fact that individuals with disability are less visible in society, many situations cause widespread and false beliefs about individuals without disabilities to persist Disability at the Workplace The process of grief, which begins with learning about the disability, and resulting change in family dynamics as well as the attitude of the society toward individuals with disability, directly affect the help that the person can receive More adopting and supporting social structure means that the family suffers from fewer challenges and the person with disability benefits from more effective health services in a shorter period of time  Attitude of the society towards disability affects the entire lives Disability at of individuals with disability the Workplace Family, intimacy, education and work life, depending on whether the attitude is positive or negative, makes it easy or difficult for the person with disability Disability at the Workplace The existing difficulties from the society: ✓Labeling ✓Exclusion ✓Discrimination ✓Bullying stemming Common Myths and Misconceptions About Disability Myths and misconceptions about disability are common These incorrect assumptions are often triggered by fear, lack of understanding and/or prejudice Common Myths and Misconceptions About Disability Common Myths and Misconceptions About Disability Common Myths and Misconceptions About Disability Common Myths and Misconceptions About Disability Common Myths and Misconceptions About Disability Common Myths and Misconceptions About Disability Common Myths and Misconceptions About Disability Common Myths and Misconceptions About Disability Common Myths and Misconceptions About Disability Common Myths and Misconceptions About Disability  Thank You… © Hikmet UCGUN / May not be copied or reproduced without permission.