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Semin Speech Lang 1997; 18(1): 71-78
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1064063
© 1997 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.

Family Adaptation to a Child's Feeding and Swallowing Disorder: A Social Work Perspective

Margarete Parrish
  • Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland at Baltimore, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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Publication Date:
15 May 2008 (online)

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ABSTRACT

The various tasks and demands faced by families of children with feeding and swallowing disorders are complex and multifaceted. While families' adaptations are idiosyncratic, there are systemic patterns of adaptation which consistently reflect issues of crisis, resilience, and change. A family systems perspective is used to describe the various cognitive, emotional, and social adaptation tasks of families with children who have dysphagia. Kubler-Ross's model (1969) for the grieving process is applied to the process of coming to terms with a child's difficulties and reaching an adaptive status.

KEY WORDS

adaptation - dysphagia - family systems - grief