This master's thesis discusses the experiences of parents od children with special needs when participating with professionals, in the process of coping with the difference of their child. It focuses on experiencing the help and support parents received from professionals and on the changes in the family that occured when coping with the child's difference. The theoretical part of the master's thesis first presents a historical view of special needs and the current situation of children with special needs through the educational context. Then a description of parents' coping with their child's diagnosis and their grieving process is given. In the following, the concepts of cooperation between parents and professionals and guidelines for better quality work with parents are presented. In the end, the importance of including the child in the assistance process is emphasized.
Since living with a child with special needs requires many considerations, which means that parents are forced to come into contact with and cooperate with various professionals throughout the child's upbringing, the purpose of the empirical work was to present the diverse experiences of parents, and the challenges and obstacles that appear in cooperation with professionals. In addition, the goal of the master's thesis was to find out what a successful cooperative relationship means for parents and which factors they consider important for the development and existence of a partnership with professionals. The master's thesis also focuses on the child's role and position in the treatment process, and investigates the extent to which adults consider the child as an equal partner in the treatment. The research was conducted with a qualitative research approach, with the help of a semi-structured interview, which included four pairs of parents of children with special needs, who are members of the Association of Parents of Children with Special Needs, which operates in the area of Croatian Istria.
The results of the research showed that the experience of cooperation between parents and professionals depends on many factors, such as: the attitude of professionals towards parents; the views and expectations of both parties; ways of cooperation; operation and connection of professional services. The main findings show that parents mostly have a negative experience of cooperation with professionals, as they believe that they lack the support and help of an interdisciplinary team that would be in charge of continuously monitoring their child. This applies especially to the period of adolescence. The child's active involvement in treatment depends on his age, self-advocacy and the dynamics of the relationship between parents and professionals.
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