Ego-States and Value System of Parents as Related to Mental Retardation of their Children

Abstract

This research entitled 'Ego-States and Value system of the parents as related to mental retardation of their children' was designed mainly to see whether the ego-states and values of the parents of mild mentally retarded children differ from the ego­states and values of the severely retarded children. But during study the researcher also compared the ego-states and values of the parents of mentally retarded and non-retarded children, male and female mentally retarded children, child and adult mentally retarded persons, and rural - urban mentally retarded children. He also compared the ego-states and values of the mothers and fathers of the mentally retarded children of different levels of retardation, residential status, sex and age groups. The researcher also measured the ego-states and values of the parents of the severe mentally retarded children before and after counseling. To complete the above mentioned works the researcher selected 30 mild, 30 moderate and 30 severe mentally retarded children at random from Dhaka city, Rajshahi city and the villages of Auchpara Union of Rajshahi District. He also selected 30 mentally retarded adults and 30 matched non-retarded children from Rajshahi city. Both the mothers and the fathers of these mentally retarded persons and the matched non-retarded children were the respondents of this study. To select the level of retardation of the mentally retarded children, one especially designed behaviour checklist was used. The parents answered the Bengali version of the Ego State Inventory, AVL Study of Values and a Questionnaire. The research was done during 2000 and 2004 mainly in Rajshahi area and Dhaka city. The methods included case studies, survey of opinion, observation and interviews. It was concluded that there are differences in the ego states and values between the parents of mild and severely retarded children; there are differences in the ego states and values between the parents of mentally retarded and non-retarded children; there are differences in the ego states and values between the parents of child and adult mentally retarded