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Parents' perceptions of the development of strengths and the role of religious belief in coping with a child's mental retardation
Abstract
This investigation examined parents' perceptions of the development of strengths and the role of religious belief in coping with a child's mental retardation. Comparisons of those perceptions were made across four groups of parents whose children were at these points in the life-span: (a) early childhood, (b) adolescence, (c) early adulthood, and (d) middle adulthood. The research design was multiple case study. Eight parents were each interviewed twice, and resultant data were examined through qualitative research methods of constant comparative analysis. Issues that emerged from parents' discussions were presented by age group in these categories: (a) challenges, (b) sources of help, (c) development of strengths, and (d) role of religious belief. Findings of the study indicate that parents at all four age groups perceive they have developed strengths in coping with their children's mental retardation. The perception of strength was most emphatic among parents of adults, who identified and stressed more areas in which they believed they had become stronger than did parents of young children or parents of adolescents. Parents responded to questions regarding the role of religious belief in two parts: the role of their church, and the role of their own personal spiritual beliefs. A majority of parents, including some who were active church members, believed that their worship centers had offered them little or no support in coping with their children's mental retardation. In contrast, all parents perceived that they derived significant and pervasive support from their own spiritual beliefs.
Subject Area
Special education|Religion|Psychology
Recommended Citation
Riordan, Judy Stump, "Parents' perceptions of the development of strengths and the role of religious belief in coping with a child's mental retardation" (1993). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9331427.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9331427