Caregiver Burden in Learning Disability

Abstract

Developmental Disorders interrupt normal development in childhood and involve significant handicaps, with onset before 18 years, which affect adaptive, self-help, cognitive and/or social skills. One of the most commonly occurring developmental disorders in normal school going children in India is Specific Learning Disability (3 % to 10%, Arun et al.,2013). The essential feature of Learning Disabilities is the presence of average to above average intelligence with large discrepancies between their abilities and specific areas of difficulty (DSM IV-TR, 2000). Parents play a crucial role in facilitating and maintaining gains in children with developmental disorders. Managing developmental disorders in children affects various aspects of the wellbeing of parents- the primary caregivers. This study focuses on the Quality of Life and Parenting Stress among parents whose children have Learning Disabilities. One hundred parents whose children were diagnosed with Learning Disability were involved in this study. The tools used were the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (1996) and the Parenting Stress Scale by Judy. O. Berry (1995). Comparison with 100 parents whose children were normal was also studied and significant results were obtained. Gender differences in the experience of Quality of Life and Parenting Stress among parents whose children were diagnosed with Learning Disability was also seen. The study also explored the relationship between the Quality of Life and Parenting Stress experienced by parents whose children have Learning Disability. The relationship between the Quality of Life and Parenting Stress experienced by parents whose children are normal was also studied. The results of this study highlight the importance of integrating parental counselling and psycho-education for the effective management of Specific Learning Disability.