Many exceptional children remain undetected and often parents resist having their children identified as exceptional because of the stigma attached with labeling. Families with children who have special needs are just like other families in many ways. They are also of various socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. Effect on the Family Having a child with special needs can throw family members into a situation that may make their lives different from those of other families. The birth of an exceptional child into a family requires considerable adjustment on the part of family members.
Most parents plan for and expect healthy, happy babies.
When an impairment is immediately obvious, the reaction is often traumatic and families may progress through a grief process similar to the process followed in death and dying. Denial A period of denial may offer parents and family members time to become accustomed to the pain and disappointment that the changes in family expectations bring. The process may continue through a period of sadness, intense anxiety, anger and guilt. Mourning There may also be a process of mourning the death of the dreams and expectations held for a child and over the loss of a healthy child. With proper help and support, most parents eventually begin a period of gradual adaptation and reorganization in which they gain confidence in their ability to care positively for the child in a rewarding way.