The importance of a psychoeducational parents' group to the training of children with special abilities

Background

This paper describes the structure and function of a Group-Analytic oriented Support-Parents' Group, deals with the needs of families with children suffering of mental retardation.

Materials and methods

The group took place in a Special Educational Setting (Rehabilitation Centre for Individuals with Special Abilities). The changes which the families achieved are described while the therapeutic factors that led to the improvement of the families' function are assessed.

Results

The long-lasting experience of this group function has shown that the Psychoeducational Group led to the empowerment of the parents: a) through the acceptance of the abilities of the special child and the realization that their change of attitude improves the overall way of their children function and the latters' progress in the educational programme; b) through the parents' mobilisation from the passive acceptance of the educational programme to a co-operative, active and responsible attitude towards it; and c) through the development of parallel social initiatives in connection with the special child and the rest of the family.