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“In this helpful anthology, 35 leading psychologists, social workers, and sociologists identify the major sources of stress facing parents of deaf and HOH children and discuss how parental coping strategies differ among various social, ethnic, and national groups. Excellent up-to-date research and findings.” —Michael Yared , Library Journal
A science-based reader for understanding the major stressors parents of deaf/hearing-impaired children face and how they cope with negative states that threaten their personal and family lives
This book provides a convenient, single source for better understanding the major stressors parents of deaf and hearing-impaired children confront, and the strategies and resources they use to cope with the experience of grief, depression, anxiety, panic, and other negative states that often threaten their personal and family lives.
The authoritative studies in this volume dispel stereotypes about parents of deaf and hearing-impaired children, by revealing differences in how they cope with stressors —as individuals and members of diverse social, ethnic, and national groups.
The following are some of the vital questions answered in this book about parents of deaf and hearing-impaired children—by leading thinkers in psychology, social work, sociology, medicine, education, and psychiatry:
• What common stressors do the parents face?
• Do White, Black, and Hispanic parents use different coping
styles and strategies for dealing with stress?
• Do hearing and deaf parents respond to and cope with stress
differently?
• Does the passage of time alleviate the nature of stress or the
coping strategies that parents use to deal with stress?
• What types of parents benefit most from support groups?
• Which coping strategies are generally the most and the least
effective?
• What effect does a deaf or hearing-impaired child have on the relationship between husband and wife, siblings, and other family members?
The rich collection of facts, perspectives and insights contained in this anthology makes it a vital resource not only for parents and students of deaf and hearing-impaired children and their families, but for all individuals concerned about issues involving stress, coping, and functioning among family members. of different social, ethnic, and national groups.
Click here for TABLE OF CONTENTS
From the Book:
Parents look forward to having a healthy (five fingers and toes, no neurological problems and with all the physical attributes of a human being) child. Unfortunately, children are born with genetic or congenital hearing loss and on occasion, due to illnesses such as meningitis, a child might lose his or her hearing at a relative early age in life.
A parent's reaction to their child's hearing loss may vary; however, many react with shock and disbelief. The disappointment of having "a less than perfect child" drives some parents to mourn the child's hearing loss in the same manner they may grieve the death of a child. In the midst of dealing with the natural development of a child and with the parent-child bonding and relationship, parents are confronted with having to meet their child's additional hearing needs (audiological evaluations appointments, hearing aids fittings, speech and communication classes, etc).
Parent's time and attention is not limited to their child's hearing needs; they also are confronted with struggling with understanding the nature of the hearing loss and the myriad of emotions created by the stressful news of having a deaf or hearing impaired child. Dealing with this news can be sudden and at times surprising and it may also be an added stress to daily life events. This is not an easy task for parents to deal with and it may force many to search for untapped strengths, and internal resources in addition to family and external support and resources in order to cope with learning of their child's deafness or hearing impairment.
Parents deal and cope with their child's hearing loss differently. While working at a school for the deaf and completing my dissertation for a Ph.D. degree, I had the opportunity to interview many parents of deaf and hearing impaired children. To my surprise, some spoke of the joy, responsibility and dedication to what was considered a gift from God to be chosen for a such special task as caring and raising a child with a hearing loss; others viewed the loss as the cross which they bear with pride and honor.
The majority of parents, however, shared the grief and pain of having a less than perfect child. Some blamed their partners while others were struck by guilt and made repeated attempts to review their life, especially during the pregnancy in an attempt to pinpoint what was done wrong and if the punishment was merited.
A parent (who I would describe as well educated and sophisticated) noted that a person learns to cope with a child's deafness but the idea that one reaches the point of acceptance is false, because acceptance is never attained.
This book was developed foremost to address issues related to the many stresses experienced by parents with a deaf or hearing impaired child. The purpose is to help further understand and empathize with the stressful emotions and the different measures used to individually cope with their feelings and meeting their child's needs.
“From the Foreword”
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IDALIA MAPP, editor, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work at Fordham University in New York, and has a private practice specializing in couples intervention, family intervention, and individual counseling. Dr. Mapp, who received her Ph.D. from New York University, MSW from Fordham University, and BSW from the University of Panama, wrote her doctoral dissertation on stress and coping among parents of deaf children, with the focus on the effects of ethnic differences on stress and coping, and has since published articles and been invited to give professional presentations on the topic.
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