The doctor's dilemma--how and when to tell parents that their child is handicapped

Abstract

As part of a larger study aimed at enhancing the development of young children with Down syndrome, information was collected regarding the time at and circumstances in which 32 couples were told of their child's handicap. In addition, the level of their present acceptance or rejection of their child in the family was assessed. The findings indicated that early disclosure of the handicap was one of the most important factors associated with parental acceptance and nurture of a mentally handicapped child. Other factors of importance were the nature of the information given by the informant and the position in the family of the handicapped child.