The Influence of Parents’ Mutual Support on the Socialization of Children with Special Needs in Rehabilitation Centres: Neuropsychological Aspects

Abstract

The article presents theoretical and methodological aspects of social support for families with adolescents with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in rehabilitation centres. In particular, it describes the process and results from the implementation of the author’s work with mutual support groups of parents of adolescents with MSDs. The article aims to determine and quasi-experimentally verify the methods of rehabilitation of individuals with MSDs and prove their effectiveness in rehabilitation centres with the involvement of parents. During the implementation of the programme, social work with families in centres for social rehabilitation of children with MSDs consists of the following main areas: family therapy, family psychoprophylaxis, providing social assistance to families, mediation in resolving family conflicts, family counselling, social and pedagogical work with families.  The content and forms of social and pedagogical work with the family are determined by a group of the following factors: a family type, problems in the family; areas of professional training of the specialist providing services to the family. The quasi-experimental group (EG) consists of 40 leavers from the Vinnytsia Centre for Social Rehabilitation of Children with Special Needs “Promin”, who are diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and six leavers with mild mental disorders. The control group (CG) consists of 40 individuals diagnosed with cerebral palsy and seven individuals with mild mental disorders. The age requirement for EG is 14-19 years old. The formative experiment also involves 27 parents of children with MSDs. The measures taken during the experiment have contributed to developing the skills of conscious psychological separation from constant parental care, taking responsibility for their lives, setting real-life goals and destroying the position of helplessness in individuals with MSDs. The article shows that a set of causes and factors affecting families’ well-being positively or negatively determines the interpersonal relationships and the traditions of family education. The international relevance of the article lies in the effective combination of social support for families with adolescents with MSDs in rehabilitation centres and parents’ involvement. The author’s methodology forms the basis for the new aspects of synergistic family and institutional rehabilitation and support.