An Investigation of the Effect of the Communication Skills of the Children with Intellectual Disability to the Anxiety Level of Their Mothers

Horizon Research Publishing. 506 North Garfield Avenue #210, Alhambra, CA 91801. e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.hrpub.org

Y

9

Communication Skills; Intellectual Disability; Children; Mothers; Anxiety; Family Environment; Stress Variables; Correlation; Surveys; Age Differences; Gender Differences; Statistical Analysis; Questionnaires; Foreign Countries; Multivariate Analysis

2332-3205

Communication in the family environment is highly important for every child although their cognitive, emotional, social and language development characteristics differ. The children are able to communicate with the adults who take the most or the caregivers in the mother's role in terms of development in the family environment in most cultures. This role is generally carried out by the mothers. It has been known that the communication skills of the children with intellectual disabilities differ from their peers and they have restrictions in receptive language and expressive language. The mothers feel stressed and because of the effects of the communication skills resulting from intellectual disability, they feel anxious in the education and rehabilitation process due to the disability of the children. This study, which aimed to examine the relationship between the effect of the intellectual disability of the children to their communication skills and the anxiety level of their mothers, was performed in the descriptive survey model. 259 mothers who had a child diagnosed with an intellectual disability between 4-18 years of age, participated in this research. The research data were collected using Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) which describes daily communication skills in 5 levels. The anxiety levels of the mothers have been evaluated by Questionnaire on Resources and Stress for Families with Chronically III or Handicapped Members (QRS). When the effect of the communication levels (CFCS), age and gender of the children on the anxiety level of the mothers was examined, it was determined that CFCS levels of the children and age alone have a statistically significant effect on the anxiety level of the mothers, but the gender does not result in a statistically significant effect. It has been stated that CFCS and gender together have a statistically significant effect on the anxiety levels of the mothers. In this study, which examines the communication skills of the children with intellectual disability together with the effect of the disability on the anxiety level of the mothers, the anxiety levels of the mothers differ in accordance with the age, gender and communication function levels of the children. The findings of this study are thought to be able to contribute to programs and teaching regulations which decrease the anxiety of the mothers and to support the communication skills of the children.

As Provided

37

2016

EJ1116371