Families with Retarded Children.

Abstract

The present study is a multimethod, multitrait study informed by family systems theory, which focuses upon family cohesiveness (disengagement/enmeshment), family time use and family roles in families with a six to twelve year old Trainable Mentally Retarded (TMR) child. Subjects are eighteen two parent families with a TMR child and at least one other child over age five living at home. Data on each family include: coded tapes of whole family interaction; diaries of time use by parents and older siblings; a structured family interview; a family cohesiveness questionnaire as well as school record information on the TMR child. Results from family interaction, time use and cohesiveness data are compared to other studies using similar techniques. The study addresses three major hypotheses derived from the literature: (1) families with a h and icapped child are more likely to be atypically enmeshed or disengaged; (2) mothers spend more time with the h and icapped child compared to the nonh and icapped siblings while fathers show the reversed pattern; (3) at least one nonh and icapped sibling in a family with a h and icapped child is likely to be parentified. The first hypothesis was supported while the other two were not. A significant percentage of the families in this study (50%) scored in the "Enmeshed" range on the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales. There were no families in the "Disengaged" range. Mothers and fathers spent similar proportions of their childcare time with the TMR child and with nonh and icapped siblings. There was little evidence from time-use or role analysis that nonh and icapped siblings had unusual responsibility for parental tasks. Family interaction in the enmeshed families was characterized by: a central, passively accommodated and protected role for the TMR child; an active, central role for fathers; and highly structured expression of aggression and competition. In the nonenmeshed families, mothers played a very central role while fathers had a more marginal role; the TMR child was less protected from competition while nonh and icapped siblings performed more childcare tasks and were more competitive than enmeshed siblings. For the whole sample, older siblings played variable roles while younger brothers and sisters played distinct, consistent, complementary roles.