Factors that affect the relationship in the family that takes care of a child with disability: Pilot study

Family relationships are related to the cohesion between family members and their interaction and the ability to solve everyday problems and crisis situations. The family is influenced by internal and external factors that affect relationships between family members. These factors also affect intimate life of partners. The family naturally faces a developmental and situational crisis. These crises are milestones that can impact the future life of the family. In the family which takes care of a child with disabilities, these milestones are accented by cumulative crises and daily confrontation with child's disability. The paper provides an overview of these crisis factors, which may affect the relationships within family members. The data were collected using a pilot survey. The sample were parents of a child with disability. The content analysis of records from semi-standardized interviews with parents and observation realized during special pedagogical interventions represents a list of the most common stressors and situational factors affecting family relationships of the target group that may result in a crisis. The common developmental crises, caused by life changes and the requirements for social role acceptance, are being strengthened by the long-lasting effects of stressors on families of children with disability. This is in particular the role of the caregiver, the demands related to the care of a child with disability, family cohesion and coping strategies. The results of the pilot study will be used in pre-research of a dissertation.