Zihinsel Engelli ve Üstün Yetenekli Çocuğa Sahip Ailelerin Yaşam Doyumları, Yaşam Kaliteleri ve Sosyal Destek Algılarının Karşılaştırılması

Abstract

The main aim of this study is to compare life satisfaction, quality of life and social support perception of parents who have mentally disabled or gifted children. The population of this study consists of parents who have children attending Science and Art Centers in Ankara, which are government institutions under the Ministry of National Education and parents who have mentally disabled children and have their children evaluated and diagnosed in terms of education in Counseling and Research Centers. Deviant case sampling method was used to determine the sample of the study. Parents of the two groups at opposite ends of intelligence (gifted and mentally disabled) are the population of the study and the sample of the study is composed of 137 people. While 64 participants (46.7%) of the study are parents of gifted children, 73 participants (53.3%) of the study are parents of mentally disabled children. In terms of relationship with the child, it can be stated that 62.8% participants are mother of the child and 37.2% of the participants are father of the child. Question form was used as a data collection tool. Data was analyzed using Independent Samples t Test, Kruskal Wallis H Test and Mann Whitney U Test. As a consequence of the analysis, it was found that parents of gifted children have higher point average with regard to life satisfaction, quality of life and social support perception. At the end of the study, it can be recommended that responsive social policies should be developed in order to increase satisfaction with life, quality of life and social support perceptions of parents having mentally disabled children with collaboration between the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Family and Social Policies.