PARENTAL ATTITUDE AND INVOLVEMENT TOWARDS RETARDED CHILDREN

The greatest risk faced by mentally retarded children is the loss or lack of adequate relationship, Parental attachment, love and care. Mentally retarded children are particularly vulnerable to a range of negative attributions and are socially marginalized and rejected by almost all sections of the community. A child with such disability may have anxiety, fear, shame or other negative feelings. These reactions usually reflect how the child has been treated by others especially the family. The way parents' react to an ill child partly depends on how they perceive the illness and the practical impact of the illness on them. Similarly, parents' reaction to a child with mental retardation will depend on the parents' attitude towards mental retardation.