Family adaptation to a child's feeding and swallowing disorder: a social work perspective

The various tasks and demands faced by families of children with feeding and swallowing disorders are complex and multifaceted. While families' adaptations are idiosyncratic, there are systemic patterns of adaptation which consistently reflect issues of crisis, resilience, and change. A family systems perspective is used to describe the various cognitive, emotional, and social adaptation tasks of families with children who have dysphagia. Kubler-Ross's model (1969) for the grieving process is applied to the process of coming to terms with a child's difficulties and reaching an adaptive status.