ABSTRACT
TRUTH OR FICTION?
Although many children with disabilities show problems in only one functional domain, problems often co-occur.
Based on the functional classification of developmental disabilities, a child with a learning disability is classified as having a major sensory impairment.
Williams syndrome and Prader—Willi syndrome are examples of genetic causes of mental retardation, which result in etiology-related patterns of physical-medical and behavioral characteristics.
According to the stress-and-coping family model, parents repeatedly experience unexpected stressors related to raising a child with a disability, which parents eventually learn to accept and cope with.
Research on families concludes that all parents and families of children with disabilities have negative experiences and that they do not fare as well as families of children without disabilities.
In contrast with “between-group” studies, the “within-group” model of research identifies characteristics within single groups that might lead to different outcomes.
“Active-based” coping and “emotion-based” coping are types of parental coping styles that help determine how well a parent will fare in raising a child with a disability.
Regardless of the type of parental coping style and degree of external support families receive, it is the severity of the child's disability that ultimately determines how successful a family will function.
Compared to most other families, most families of children with disabilities are under increased amounts of stress and often face special problems that rarely confront other families.
Most families of children with disabilities require clinical services, such as individual, family, or couples therapy.
The balance and type of support families need depend on the individual parents themselves, as well as the age of the child and parent-child experiences.
In a self-contained classroom setting, students with disabilities are mostly or totally separate from regular classes and a special education teacher typically provides all of the instruction.
Least restrictive environment (LRE) allows for full-time integration with nondisabled children, as well as part-time integration with a resource room or specialist.
A behavior plan is the most integral component in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for students with disabilities.
In addition to school-based services, families of children with disabilities can also receive supportive services provided by many states.
