Parental Resolution of the Child's Disability Diagnosis in the Reaction to Diagnosis Interview (RDI) and Effects on the Play Interaction with the Child

Examining 37 qualitative interviews with mothers and fathers of a child with intellectual disability it was observed that the emotions and traumatic experiences, associated with the child's diagnosis, still burden the relationship with the child even after several years, so that many affected cannot come to resolution. On the other hand, resolution of the diagnosis was indicated for 65 % of the parents, enabling them to reclaim lost space for building a relationship with their child. While these parents significantly more often report purposeless and responsive play interaction with their children, non-resolved parents still seem to be driven to counteract the disability by playing educational games or playing games, which promote the development. In a parallel music therapeutic study, the effects of parental resolution also are monitored in children's free play interaction: Children of resolved parents interact more often in a dialogic relationship, whereas children of non-resolved parents are less able to balance dyadic turn-taking and interaction control in free music play.