ABSTRACT
All with who the child is in contact can help him in varying ways, whether they are medical, para-medical, and educational or social workers. The ones who can best help however are the child’s own family, particularly the mother, who is in a position through her physical proximity and ‘emotional closeness’ to communicate an essential feeling of security and belonging to the sick child. In some families the problems arise from the mixed feelings parents have towards their handicapped child. In some extreme cases the parents’ self-confidence may be so shaken when they produce a handicapped child whose life expectancy is short that they feel unable to take the baby home from hospital. This child’s acceptance into his family then depends on how the parents are told, and the expertise with which the situation is handled. The important part played by non-verbal communication, particularly with a younger child, cannot be over-emphasised with parents.
