Socioeconomic status of the families with children with intellectual disability

Abstract

Family is the first and most important factor for socialization of the child and for providing appropriate conditions for its normal development. Living with a child with intellectual disabilities brings significant financial, emotional, and general, life changes. In the last few decades treatment of those people is completely changed. From medical and institutional approach, the focus has moved towards integral rehabilitation, which includes the entire family and their needs. The aim of the research is to determinate the socio-economic status of the families who have child with intellectual disabilities. In the survey we included 104 families of the children with intellectual disability in special primary schools and Daycare center. From the available methods, we used descriptive, causal method and method of generalization. During the analysis and interpretation of the results we made review of the educational level of the parents, their employment and financial condition, and the health of all family members. We found that the educational level of the member of those families is lower than the educational level in the general population; these families have a lower employment rate with lower monthly incomes compared with the average incomes, and finally, have generally good health with increased frequency of transient problems and chronic diseases. The obtained results indicate that families have low socioeconomic status. Some of the results show us difficult economic, financial and social position, which can be interpreted as alarming and requiring immediate intervention for improving the socioeconomic status of these families. On the other hand, improvement of living conditions, raising the socio-economic level by itself provides higher quality of life for the children with intellectual disability and their families.