Preparing children for parental disability

Based on the recognition that the sudden onset of disability with attendant, often prolonged hospitalization can compromise family integrity, mobilize anxieties in all family members, and lead to major role changes within a given family structure, this paper describes specific techniques designed to minimize family crisis secondary to the disability of a parent through the preparation of the children to understand parental disability within the limits of the child's readiness and to help the child master his feelings about these life events. Methods include the use of "special stories," creative play, and active involvement of the child with the handicapped parent in the rehabilitation process.