Abstract
The process of parental acceptance of a child's disability is complex and involves a myriad of factors, including the nature of the child's disability, factors related to the parents and societal factors. Despite the type of disability and the severity of that disability often being the most significant factors related to the process of acceptance, the majority of previous studies have combined multiple disabilities into a single category. For example, the point at which parent and child begin to live together with a disability marks a "beginning." The nature and timing of this beginning differs depending on the disability and thus has a large impact on the process of acceptance. Moreover, despite acceptance patterns diverging between sexes, the majority of previous studies have sampled only mothers and not fathers. Future research needs to use a more detailed analysis of disability type and its severity, and examine the modality of telling a patient and his or her family of a disability. Further studies also need to sample both mother and father, and consider the familial and social aspects of the process of parental acceptance.
