Η λειτουργία της οικογένειας με ένα παιδί με αναπηρία και ειδικές εκπαιδευτικές ανάγκες: Μια συγκριτική μελέτη

The present study focuses on the particular characteristics of the family with a child with disability and special educational needs (d./s.e.n.). The sample consists of 60 nuclear families: 30 families with children with d./s.e.n. and 30 families with children without d./s.e.n. (in total 234 individuals: 120 parents and 114 children). Semi-structured interview,questionnaires and projective tests were used for data collection. The findings suggest that families raising a child with d./s.e.n present an explicit generational hierarchy. A main factor in the organization and content of roles of the subsystems is the existence of the child with d./s.e.n. The families are child-centered and parental projections in the future are hindered. The siblings function as levers of balance. Moreover, there is no statistically significant difference between parents with and those without a child with d./s.e.n. on the following: (a) family cohesion, adaptability and type of family, (b) the degree of satisfaction from the marital relationship, c) coping strategies, and d) the number of social support networks and the degree of satisfaction that derives from them. The general conclusion of this study is that families raising a child with d./s.e.n. present some common characteristics in their organisation and functioning compared to the families of children without d./s.e.n. At the same time, the families of children with d./s.e.n. have distinguishable dynamics: they present their own rules of organization; however, these do not render them dysfunctional.