Grandparent Involvement in the Communication Development of Children Who are Deafblind

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of grandparents in the communication development of children who are deafblind. The two-tiered study was conducted through State Projects for Deafblind Children in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee with 143 parents and 80 grandparents. The grandparents identified as “most involved” provided information about factors that influence their levels of involvement. The results suggest that maternal grandparents are the most involved. A needs analysis in areas of communication, nurturing, and school indicated the need for grandparents to be included as participants in developing communication plans.     

Phenomenologizing Filipino custodial grandparents’ interment stress

ABSTRACT

Custodial grandparenting is yet another dynamic shift in the modern family. A diversity of social, economic and protective reasons why grandparents care for their grandchildren gives additional roles and responsibilities to grandparenthood. Equated with old age, most grandparents perceive interment as an inevitable stressful reality of life, thus this qualitative inquiry. Six custodial grandparents (61–74 years old) participated in a semi-structured interview. Field texts were vertically and horizontally analyzed to capture the core meanings of these custodial grandparents’ interment stress; emergent themes were validated through correspondence and member-checking procedures. Interestingly, this inquiry afforded the development of a Tensional Nature of Interment Stress – spanning cognitive, affective, and behavioral tensions – which represents the conflicting tensions that Filipino grandparents experience to accommodate the presence of interment stress in their custodial grandparenthood. The implications of the emerged model to educational gerontology are discussed in this paper.     

Grandparents of Children with Disabilities: a review

Grandparents are important sources of support to children with disabilities and their families. However, there has been very little published research concerned with grandparents’ roles and experiences in relation to their grandchild with disabilities. Existing research is reviewed in the present paper. Although both parents and grandparents themselves report a wide range of supportive activities and increased involvement with the child with disabilities, grandparents may also be an additional burden to families. In particular, parents may find it difficult to deal with grandparents’ immediate and longer term emotional responses to their grandchild's disability. Clinical, educational, and other professionals have an important role to play working with grandparents and facilitating their role as a resource for families of children with disabilities. The implications of the review for research on grandparents are also discussed.     

DEVELOPING CURRICULA FOR GRANDPARENTS IN JAPAN

The purpose of this study was to determine how three generations view the contribution and needs of grandparents in Japan. A sample consisting of 239 grandparents, 266 parents, and 274 grandchildren from, urban and rural areas completed the Grandparent Strengths and Needs Inventory (Strom & Strom, 1993). Grandparents reported more satisfaction, success, and involvement in teaching than was observed by parents or grandchildren. Grandparents experienced greater difficulty as well as frustration and saw themselves as less informed about their role than was reported by younger people. Significant main effects were generation, grandchild gender, grandchild age, generations living together, frequency of grandchild care by the grandparent, and amount of time the generations spent together. Implications for building curricula and guidelines for program development are identified.     

Education and Learning for the Elderly: Why,How, What

Seventy‐seven children of divorce and their selected grandparents completed questionnaires that included a demographic section, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale‐II (FACES II; Olson, Bell, &; Portner, 1982) to assess their relationships, and an instrument designed to identify shared activities and desires in these areas. Partners had similar present and future perceptions of relationship and activity factors. All participants desired future increases in both areas. Grandchildren and grandparents connected emotional bonding with grandparents’ listening, keeping them safe, and gift giving; grandparents also thought a good relationship with the custodial parent was important. Most healthy and least healthy subgroups were identified. Membership in the healthiest group was related to geographic proximity, feminine gender for both partners, and being married and employed full‐time for grandparents. Grandparents who were related by blood to custodial parents, had a good relationship with them, and negotiated their role were more likely to have a healthier relationship. Helping professionals are encouraged to explore these variables as they help family members negotiate the grandparent‐grandchild relationship, use skill training to foster development in areas amenable to change, and use supportive tactics in areas of liability.     

The role played by grandparents in family support and learning: considerations for mainstream and special schools

The twenty‐first century family faces many demographic changes. Despite this, the importance of intergenerational relationships remains. This article initially reviews the literature surrounding the role that grandparents play in their children's families, highlighting a growing body of research demonstrating the important support role that grandparents play in the lives of families with non‐disabled children. In contrast, there is limited research on the role played by and support needs of grandparents to families with disabled children. Recognising the significance of ‘family’ rather than purely ‘parent’‐based partnerships in UK schools, this article considers the role and importance of grandparents in schools; in particular, intergenerational learning, and how schools can begin to include grandparents and also provide support to meet grandparents' own support needs. Despite a limited literature on schools working specifically with grandparents of children with SEN, some policy and practice issues are discussed and areas for future consideration suggested.     

DETERMINING THE SUCCESS OF GRANDPARENT EDUCATION

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of a course for grandparents. A sample of 87 consanguineous subjects included 29 grandparents, 29 grandchildren, and 29 of the grandchildren's parents. Twelve class sessions explored how the experiences of growing up and raising children differ from the recent past and attempted to identify corresponding changes required for the older relatives. Each generation was administered the Grandparent Strengths and Needs Inventory before and after grandparents attended the course. The participants reported perceptions regarding six dimensions of grandparent attitudes and behaviors. Changes in the performance of grandparents were compared using t‐tests. According to the grandparents, the course resulted in increased satisfaction (p < .05), greater success (p < .05) and more effective teaching (p < .05) in family relationships. They reported making gains for 58 out of 60 items. Parents and grandchildren corroborated most of these gains by higher posttest scores. MANOVA identified significant differences in generational perceptions of grandparent potentials (p < .05) and concerns (p < .01). The findings confirm that family development goals can be supported by making education for grandparents available and encouraging them to remain influential in their families through continued learning.     

Grandparents of Children with Autism: A Review with Recommendations for Education,Practice, and Policy

One in 166 grandparents will become grandparent to a child with autism. A review of empirical studies suggests that these grandparents experience significant role confusion. They provide the autistic child's parents—who are more likely to be depressed, single, or divorced—with both burden (e.g., conflict regarding behavioral symptoms) and emotional and instrumental support (e.g., childcare; financial assistance; advocacy). Unique stressors of autism upon families include social isolation and financial burden. Custodial grandparents face additional stressors. Opportunities for education, practice, and policy that are designed to help grandparents redefine their role, share in the diagnosis and treatment of autism, and obtain social support are advanced.     

Helping grandkin—Grandchildren raised by grandparents: Expanding psychology in the schools

Recently, large numbers of grandparents have become full-time surrogate parents to their grandchildren. The term “grandfamily” was coined to easily identify families in which children are raised by grandparents. Grandchildren in these families are called “grandkin.” Grandparents who raise their grandkin tend to have elevated levels of stress that negatively impact their well-being. Grandkin tend to develop problems with attachment and establishing social networks, which can lead to poor psychological adjustment and development. Grandparents who raise their grandchildren significantly influence the development of their grandkin in the school environment. Often the children experience severe academic and behavioral problems in school. This article provides a review of the literature about grandkin and grandparents in grandfamilies, particularly as the relationship influences the children's school functioning. In addition, the Grandfamily School Support Network is discussed as a means of ameliorating the difficulties experienced by grandkin and grandparents. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

USE OF CRITICAL INCIDENTS FOR PLANNING,IMPLEMENTING, AND EVALUATING A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR FOSTER GRANDPARENTS

The authors report the planning, implementation, and evaluation of a training program for foster grandparents employed at a residential diagnostic and treatment center for disturbed children and youth. The training needs were assessed by task and performance analysis procedures, including the use of critical incident technique. A scoring procedure derived values for various responses to a set of problem situations presented to each foster grandparent. The training objectives focused on the role of the foster grandparents in helping their charges to develop socially acceptable behavior. A cognitive problem‐solving strategy was taught by use primarily of role‐modeling and role‐playing methods. The effectiveness of training was evaluated by comparing pretraining scores on a problem situation test with posttraining scores. Foster grandparents who had been highly rated by supervisors on an independent criterion improved with training; the others did not.     

国外隔代教养研究述评

随着社会的发展,隔代教养在中国成为一个普遍的现象。国外的隔代教养研究相对成熟,有许多值得借鉴的方面。近年来,国外隔代教养研究关注的焦点和角度随着社会的发展产生了新的变化,关注隔代教养的各个主体、文化差异以及隔代教养的积极方面,并努力寻求有效的解决方案。     

The relative safety of paternal,maternal, and traditional foster care placements

When children are placed into foster care the caseworker must give preference to an adult relative, many of whom are grandparents, over an unrelated caregiver. This kinship preference is based in evolutionary biology, which suggests that the imperative to care for a child should be greater for kin versus non-kin. However, not all kin are related to a child in the same way, and level of paternity uncertainty may influence level of care provided. For instance, maternal grandparents can be assured that they share genetic material with their grandchild, while paternal grandparents may not have the same level of certainty. Owing to the possibility of paternity uncertainty, we hypothesize that out-of-home placements with paternal grandparents will be at a greater risk of subsequent investigations than placements with maternal grandparents or with foster parents. We secured data on placements n = 560 of children ages 1.5 to 17 following a maltreatment investigation from a merger of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being NSCAW II and the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System NCANDS. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression were used to examine the difference in time to the first new investigation by type of out-of-home placement while controlling for covariates. Consistent with our hypothesis, placements with paternal grandparents were at a higher risk of a subsequent investigations than placements with maternal grandparents or non-kin foster parents. Results suggest a need for further considerations of child safety in foster care based on genetic relatedness of caregivers.     

Grandparent learning and cultural differences

People are living longer so expectations of grandparents should be redefined. Learning for them should focus on fulfilling family and community roles to retain a sense of purpose. Grandparent education requires a willingness to learn from the observations of younger family members. The intergenerational perceptions of American grandparents were examined to identify conditions for success in a technological environment. The 2,535 non-consanguineous participants were three generations of African-Americans (n = 777), Caucasian-Americans (n = 1,086), and Mexican-Americans (n = 672). Perceptions of the grandparents (n = 1,117), parents (n = 624), and grandchildren (n = 794) were compared within and between the cultures. Each generation completed a separate version of the Grandparent Strengths and Needs Inventory. The six subscales of this instrument assess grandparent Satisfaction, Success, Teaching, Difficulty, Frustration, and Information Needs. All generations and cultures identified favorable aspects of grandparent behavior as well as contexts for further learning. Significant differences were found in observations of grandparent attitudes and behavior across cultures and between generations within cultures. The most significant demographic variable was amount of time a grandparent spent with a grandchild. Lesson themes that represent the uniqueness of cultures and the observations of three generations are recommended as a framework for a differentiated curriculum in grandparent education.     

Value of Family and Group Counseling Models Where Grandparents Function as Parents to their Grandchildren

Those involved in circumstances in which children are raised by their grandparents often encounter serious problems that require assistance from counselors. Research suggests that grandparents and parents in these families typically experience heightened stress and psychosocial distress. Additionally, the children often encounter behavioral, emotional, and academic difficulties. These difficulties usually occur partly as a result of the factors that lead to grandparents having to assume responsibility for the children. This paper provides a report of the phenomenon, particularly as it relates to the various members’ psychosocial well-being. In addition, family and group counseling are advanced as valuable relational psychotherapeutic models to enhance the well-being of the children, grandparents and parents involved.     

Teachers' perceptions of the emotional and behavioral functioning of children raised by grandparents

Increasing numbers of grandparents are becoming full‐time surrogate parents to their grandchildren. Grandparents who raise their grandchildren reportedly endure high levels of stress, and grandchildren purportedly experience childhood trauma that can lead to poor psychological adjustment. While anecdotal reports have suggested that grandchildren experience significant behavioral problems, there is a dearth of data to empirically support this view. This research was an initial endeavor to ascertain whether teachers perceive children raised by grandparents as exhibiting serious emotional and behavioral problems. Fifty‐four African American children raised by their grandparents and a comparison group of 54 African American children living with their parents were studied to determine the grandchildren's functioning. Teachers perceived the children raised by their grandparents as experiencing significantly more emotional and behavioral problems than their similar schoolmates. Children in these families appear in need of school‐based intervention services. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 43: 565–572, 2006.     

INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

Changes have occurred in the sources of learning and scope of thinking that children are expected to rely on. Corresponding changes are also necessary in the education of adults to ensure that intergenerational relationships are satisfying, particularly within families. A rationale for the education of grandparents is presented along with the format of an innovative and practical program. Elements of the grandparent curriculum include sharing feelings and ideas with peers, listening to the perspective of young people, studying life‐span personal development, improving family communication skills, and focusing self‐evaluation on relevant behavior. Each of these components is described in terms of eocpected benefits.     

隔代教育与城市学龄前儿童社会化

随着经济的发展,隔代教育成为一种重要的社会现象。在城市中,父辈面对激烈的竞争压力,学龄前儿童的教育主要由祖辈来承担。本文试图从隔代教育与社会化的相关概念出发,了解并分析研究价值。从祖辈、父辈、儿童三个角度分析隔代教育中存在的问题,最后提出城市儿童隔代教育优化的途径,进而促进儿童的健康成长和发挥家庭在儿童社会化过程中作用。     

Theory‐Based Interventions for School Children Cared For by their Grandparents

The growing social phenomenon of grandparents caring for their grandchildren has implications for educational psychology practice, since children who are wards of their grandparents frequently experience problematic school functioning. In this paper, the literature regarding children cared for by grandparents is reviewed. Issues concerning attachment, social support, and the children’s school‐related functioning are emphasised. In addition, theoretical and practical school‐based interventions to help these grandchildren are described.