ABSTRACT
Handicapped persons do not live in a social vacuum. All have parents, most have siblings, and all exist in a society with its particular mix of subcultures. The basic thesis of a systems approach as it applies to rehabilitation, then, is that the behaviour of a handicapped person cannot, and therefore must not, be considered in isolation from his or her social context. In meeting the needs of handicapped persons and their families consideration must be given to such factors as the transmission of information, the provision of support and the power relationships that exist in the interfaces between handicapped persons, their families, human service agencies and the broader society. Research and services have recently shown an increased appreciation of the family ecology of handicap, with an encouraging awareness of interactions between handicapped persons, their parents, and their siblings. Services for handicapped persons and their families must help them deal with these mesosystem elements.
