title: Families with physically handicapped children: social ecology and family systems.
abstract: This paper reviews research on families with physically handicapped children, and integrates this work within a social ecological perspective. Methodological difficulties in past research that contribute to a lack of consensus in the area are discussed. Research on stresses experienced by various subsystems within families with handicapped children is presented, with recommendations for future family-oriented research and intervention. The interactions of families with handicapped children with their social support networks are reviewed, underscoring the importance of these processes for coping and adaptation.
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000523:psychology; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000523:psychology; D004463:Ecology; D004519:Education, Special; D005190:Family; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards; D012380:Role; D012801:Sibling Relations; D012934:Social Isolation; D012944:Social Support; D016136:Spina Bifida Occulta / Q000523:psychology