Parental adjustment to the birth of a baby with Down Syndrome

Abstract

This dissertation comprises two major sections. The first part comprises a theoritical perspective of the current concepts regarding the definition of Down Syndrome, its history and characteristic features. It also comprises the impact that a baby with Down Syndrome has upon the parents, the adjustment that the latter have to go through, how the reaction to such a condition affects their relationships within an intrafamilial context and the crucial effect that early intervention may have upon the whole family. In the second part I will be illustrating the adjustment process and particular effects that a baby with Down Syndrome has had upon three couples and their family. These real life experiences were obtained by means of an unstructured interviews that took place in their own homes.