MOTHER’ RELATION TO AN EARLY AGE CHILD WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS DEPENDING ON THE CHILD’S SEX AND ROLE FEATURES

Abstract

The sex-role position of a child with developmental disorder plays an important role in the process of family’s adaptation to disability. The literature provides evidence of the favourable influence of a healthy child in the family on both the mother and the relationships in the family; the differences in the gender selectivity of parents in the upbringing of girls and boys, including the presence of children with developmental disorders, are established.
Main results of the study. The study found that mother’ relation to an only child on most indicators does not differ from her relation to a child who is one of the siblings in the family. Mothers rate the child equally on the health, intelligence, beauty, character and happiness scales, regardless of the child’s position in the family. Mothers rate themselves equally on all scales, regardless of whether they are only mothers of a child with a developmental disorders, or they also have normally developed children.
There are some differences in the maternal relation to the only children compared to non- only children. In relation to their only child mothers accept unconditionally of their child and are more sensitive to it. This data corresponds to the idea of high significance of the first child for a mother.
The mother’s relation to boys and girls does not differ in all the studied parameters, which can be explained by the implementation of the mother’s role content in relation to a very young child, the main component of which is responsibility and care.
The data obtained do not quite correspond to the expected results. This can be explained by the fact that a mother perceives her child as different from other children, and therefore not so much the youngest or middle among the children in the family, as the only one. The order of birth of a child and its gender, being objective and emotionally neutral characteristics, acquire sense for the mother and therefore play the role of individual factors in the formation of maternal relation.