Assistance to families with handicapped children

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Abstract
The article deals with the problem of developing models for assistance to families with handicapped children in developed and developing countries. In order to avoid unintended and undesirable effects, it is necessary to gain a thorough insight into local conditions and the families own experience of their needs. The example of Norway is used to illustrate this. An interdisiplinary project, a cooperation between a social anthropologist and a child psychiatrist, has studied "handicapped families" and the effects of the aid programs on their ability to cope with the problems of daily life. 171 families with pre-school children with nine different handicaps were interviewed about their life situation, their needs and the aid they received. In Norway one of the main problems in giving aid to "handicapped families" is the underutilisation of the aid that is available. More information must be gathered of the processes that influence the coping ability of the "handicapped family" in both developed and developing countries. Further assistance programs should be based on such knowledge.

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