People with Developmental Disabilities

The Task of  Their Grief  Process ( Part 2 )

In order for anyone to successfully complete the mourning process four task are needed.

 First.
 To accept the reality of the loss.The individual have to realize that the person is dead, or gone and will never return.

 Second
     To experience the pain of grief, that can be emotional or physical pain of grief once the reality is faced.

 Third
      To adjust to an environment in which a loved one is missing  Individuals will need to adjust to the loss of companionship, emotional support and the loss of activities.

   Fourth
    To withdraw emotional energy and reinvest it in another relationship this is not to say forget the one who died, but let it remain in their heart and mind forever. Individuals with developmental disabilities may need to be reassured that many other individuals care about them and are willing to be supportive of their needs.
  

Difficulty in learning or understanding is one of the major reasons why some family members and professionals do not talk about death to individuals with developmental disabilities and they get left out of the grieving process. It is critical for care provider's to realize that individuals with developmental disabilities do need to understand the concept of death in order to feel loss.

Many individuals with developmental disabilities do not express their emotions in a manner that might be considered typical. Their faces and words may not reflect their true feelings. The care providers must look for indicators of their feelings, such as behaviours. Individuals with developmental disabilities have a tendency to say yes to whatever question a person they are interacting with may pose. This is more to please people and a way to be socially accepted. For some individuals with developmental  disabilities a change in their behaviour may show us that they are upset more than what they say, it may be that they had experience a death or loss of someone close.

(To be continued with Part 3)

People with Developmental Disabilities

The Task of their Grief Process  ( Part 1 )

The average person on the street when asked what death is, may have some clear understanding about it, and what death and grieving is about. In most cases the individuals with developmental disabilities does not  have a clue what death and grieving is, this all have to do with their thinking and developmental stage.

The individual(s) who is severely developmentally delayed  problems arise when he/she is trying to comprehend the process of death and grieving. People with developmental disabilities develop close ties to other individuals and will experience loss at various times during their life. It is not unusual for individuals with developmental disabilities to form attachments with their care providers, only to be separated from them bay a change in the care provider's job situation.

The Bereavement Counselor can help the individual(s) understand the process by being aware of their emotions and physical patterns, which should be observed by the care provider and passed on to the Bereavement Counselor. The other side of the coin are individuals with less severe developmental disabilities, that do have some knowledge but still cannot process death and grieving.

We must be very careful what is said when a disabled person loses someone dear to them, it is important to understand and help individuals with developmental disabilities go through the grieving process because they often have a hard time showing and dealing with grief.

People with developmental disabilities are protected by care providers,guardians and family members, although their intentions is to protect them from upsetting events they are kept from dealing with grief, it is often assumed that they have little or no awareness of the grieving process as it relates to the final loss.

Since each individual with developmental disabilities is different and unique, grief is often displayed and often misunderstood and is then discouraged, particularly when the emotional and behavioural expressions of grief are intense or very disruptive.

On the whole, individuals with developmental disabilities are frequently unprepared, when it comes to dealing with their grief, and usually they receive little or no assistance through the mourning process. in individuals with  mental disabilities  bereavement becomes apparent when the individual displays behaviour that implies they are upset over the separation from a person, pet, object or situation.

People grieve for different periods of time. developmental Impairments complicated the grieving process because the individual may experience greater difficulties in expressing emotions, adapting to change in relationships, and understanding between life and death. It is important that individuals with mental disabilities be allowed to express their grief and be encouraged to talk about their loss (given their ability to talk, using sign language, and by  using communication board.)

An individual who is developmentally disabled cannot understand what mourning is all about, it is then up to the care providers, family members or guardian to help the person understand the stages of mourning. If we take a look at the stages that need to be dealt with in order for the mourning process to begin it may be difficult for a individual with developmental disabilities to understand.


To Be Continued