ABSTRACT
The relationship between levels of felt need in relation to child minding tasks and the social age of the handicapped child is similar to that shown in relation to physical care tasks, except that the proportion of mothers expressing a high level of need is higher in all categories. Most accepted that physical care was something for which they should be responsible and which they felt they were better able to do than others. In many families physical child care, particularly of younger children, did not in itself constitute a major burden, but there was a considerable minority in which physical care was very difficult. There was a simple gradient with social age, the higher the Childs level of development the less likely the mother was to feel the need for additional support with physical care, although many of the care tasks were still applicable. The difficulties some mothers had in getting through the daily grind of household chores.
