Abstract:
The purpose of the research was to study child rearing practice of parents of young mentally handicapped children in Changwat Si Sa Ket concerning knowledge, practice, problems and needs. The results of the research were as follows: 1. Most of the parents hardly had any knowledge concerning mentally handicapped children. 2) Most of the young mentally handicapped children were found to be at trainable, severe and profound levels. The main causes of being mentally handicapped were mothers lacking of knowledge about proper practice while being pregnant and taking care of the infants and toddlers appropriately. 3) Mothers were the key persons who took care of the children by giving up helping their husbands in the field. In the families with older children, elder sisters had to help taking care of the mentally handicapped children while elder brothers did not. 4) The rearing of the young mentally handicapped children was similar to the one given to other normal children in the North Eastern rural area, which was that most of the mothers did all the daily routine for their children instead of training them to do so for the sake of time saving since they had so many things to be done. 5) Most of the parents used to take their children to receive stimulation. And rehabilitation service from the Center Hospital in Changwat Ubonratchathani, and had given up because of high expenses and not seeing the satisfied improvement in their children. Some used superstitious or traditional ways of rehabilitation as well as modern medical approachs. 6) The main problems of the mentally handicapped child rearing were mentioned that the parents had to work harder, the family expenses became higher, the medical professionals did not recognize the parents and often used technical terms which they didn't understand, and they lost the chances to join social activities in the community. 7) Mentioned by the parents, their needs were knowledge on how to develop their children to be able to help themselves, to talk and to walk, some support for daily living, and educational provision for their handicapped children. Some would like to have a special school nearby, so the child would not have to leave them far.