Social identity of a family with a child with a disability

Family plays an important role in the life of a human. The family is even more important if this human is a child with a disability. Birth of a child with a disability results in changes of lifestyle of the family for it must be adapted to the child?s possibilities and needs. In my thesis I wanted to approach both the complicated process of coping and dealing with the birth of a child with a disability and the process of finding of a new identity, which is my main objective. The theoretical part of the thesis explains concepts of words ? a child, a person with a disability, identity and a family. The work divides basic types of disabilities, describes typologies and functions of a family. Not only complicated and complex process of dealing with the birth of a disabled child is described here but also changes of parental attitudes and basic psychical needs depending up the child?s disability. The work also focuses on the relationship of a child to his/her own disability, on the process of socialization and last but not least on Early Care. The research was carried out by the method of quantitative research and by the technique of a semi-controlled interview. Interviews with parents of children with disabilities of different levels and types were carried out. The research provided information about considerable difficulties in lives of families with disabled children. Results of the thesis may serve to both easier coping with the birth of a child with a disability and also can help families with disabled children work well. The results may also become the basis for further studies and research in this field