Premium
Why Families of Children with Biological Deficits Require a Systems Approach
Author(s) -
SLOMAN LEON,
KONSTANTAREAS M. MARY
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
family process
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.011
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1545-5300
pISSN - 0014-7370
DOI - 10.1111/j.1545-5300.1990.00417.x
Subject(s) - dysfunctional family , psychology , developmental psychology , offspring , psychotherapist , pregnancy , genetics , biology
A number of assumptions related to the systemic therapists' view of family functioning in the case of biological deficit in the child are presented and challenged. The families' behavior, it is argued, may not be primarily responsible for the difficulties of their biologically impaired offspring. Severity of handicap need not be directly linked to stress in these families, nor is avoiding an individual diagnosis helpful to them. To further clarify the relevant issues, the family's “reactions” to a dysfunctional member, along with the professionals' previously unhelpful approaches to dealing with the impairment of these children, are presented. Finally, the therapeutic implications of the position presented in this article are drawn, and specific recommendations for working with these families are offered.