Disabled children and their family surroundings

The relationship between the society and disabled people has experienced various stages from mockery and condemnation to the present endeavour to create conditions for integration of persons with different handicaps into the normal life of the society. With disabled children, a significant role in this process is represented by the family which experiences various periods of dealing with the disabilities of its member from the moment when it has met the unfavourable prognosis of being handicapped and they must cope with this situation in a different way and for an extended period of time. The family will often face internal problems, as well as adversity involving their surroundings. The attending paediatrician must provide care in these cases, not only for the disabled child, but they must also influence the atmosphere within the entire family in a positive way.