Grieving for the loss of the perfect child: Parents of children with handicaps

Family reaction to the diagnosis of a child with a handicap marks the occurrence of a family crisis. The losss experienced by the family at the birth of a handicapped child is explored within a framework for grieving. A wholistic model for the grieving process, which is based on a view that grieving has important biological, intellectual, emotional, behavioral and spiritual aspects is presented. Examples from clinical cases are offered to illustrate this process. Implications are provided for better understanding and facilitating of the grief process for both the family and the helping professional.