questions

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone. Several years ago attended a workshop that talked a

bit about attachment issues between parents and children with

disabilites. I've been thinking about this for awhile, and am interested

in your views. I am speaking at a conference later this month, and

would like to address this issue, and so I need your help.

I have been interested in some time with the issue of attachment or

bonding between parents and child. I have been wondering how it may be

different for those of us with a child who has CHARGE. What I would

like to do is gather some preliminary information from all of you who

would like to share your thinking on this with me. I will look at your

comments and compile them, and present them at a conference I am

attending in May. Obviously, all of your responses would be kept

anonymous. I would not disclose any names to anyone. If you want to

share your thoughts with me, you could either respond directly to me at

tim.hartshorne@..., or to the list as a whole. If you do decide

to just send your comments to me, do check before you send to make sure

it is only me it is going to. I've goofed that up myself from time to

time.

Bonding is the word used to refer to the experience of parents, while

attachment is used to describe the experience of the child. Here are

the questions I have been wondering about:

1. When (e.g. at what age) did you feel bonded to your child with

CHARGE?

2. Was this different than with any of your other children if you've had

any?

3. Did anything happen or did you experience anything that made you

realize you were bonded?

4. When did your child demonstrate to you that he/she felt attached to

you?

5. Was this different than with any of your other children if you've had

any?

6. Did anything happen or did you experience anything that made you

realize your child felt attached to you?

Thanks for your help!

Tim Hartshorne, father to (CHARGE and 10 today), and Josh, ,

, , Seth, and , and husband of .