Group treatment for the parents of children with learning-disabilities : as a means of changing the attitudes of parents towards such children, and the effect of such a change on the remediation of the learning disability

Vosters, Carly J A

Group treatment for the parents of children with learning-disabilities : as a means of changing the attitudes of parents towards such children, and the effect of such a change on the remediation of the learning disability

Thesis / Dissertation

1986

Abstract

[page 127 missing] A research was done on the attitudes of parents towards learning-disabled children and on the behaviour rating of the children by their parents (experiment A) and on group treatment for parents of learning-disabled children (experiment B). EXPERIMENT A The experimental group consisted of parents of 28 learning-disabled children. The children were in sub A, B, or std I, attending regular primary schools and received remedial tuition. The control group consisted of 30 parents of children who achieve normally. The two groups were matched for socio-economic status, family structure, age and sex of child. The attitudes of the two groups of parents were compared with the help of the Hereford Parent Attitude Survey (1963). It is designed to measure the dimensions of attitudes of parents towards their children. The scale consists of five subscales measuring: confidence in parental role, causation of child's behaviour, acceptance of child's behaviour and feelings, mutual understanding and mutual trust. Every subscale contains 15 items, each of which is rated on a five point scale ranging from +2 to -2. The sum of the item score in each area serves as the parent's total score for that attitude area. The higher the score the better the attitude. VI It was found that: Parents of normal achieving children scored higher on the subscales measuring understanding, causation and on the total score of the attitude survey than parents of learning-disabled did. The parents' behaviour ratings of their children were compared with the Parent-Teacher Behavior Rating Scale for Underachieving Children by Rie (1976). This scale measures overt behaviour characteristics of children. It consists of seven subscales, measuring: activity, achievement, sociability, attention, distractibility, disruptability, and need-achievement. Each subscale contains five items each of which is rated on a five point scale of frequency of occurrence. The higher the score the more favourable the behaviour. It was found that: experimental group parents rated their children's behaviour less favourably on each subscale than parents in the control group. EXPERIMENT B: Mothers of learning-disabled children were divided into three groups: experimental group A, the counselling group; experimental group B, the teaching group; and control group C, the non-treatment group. Group A participated in supportive, reflective group counselling, the discussions were 'parent focussed'. The characteristics of a learning-disability were explained to the parents in group B, discussions were 'child focussed'. Parental attitude and behaviour measures taken after treatment were compared with the previous measures. Teachers moni- Vil tored the behaviour of .the children with the same behaviour rating scale on a weekly basis, while treatment took place. It was found that: Mothers in group A scored higher after treatment on the attitude subscale measuring 'trust' than before treatment. Teachers found that behaviour of children whose parents participated in group B improved significantly. The results of the study indicate that if treatment procedures based on counselling and teaching methods are combined, attitude change of parents and behaviour improvement in children will be facilitated.

Keywords

Psychology

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