ional services toward the goal of strengthening their resources to deal with the stresses attending to the situation.
In terms of seeking professional help, John's parents would be well-served by being apprised of the fact that one problem in particular can hinder their forward progress in dealing with the situation which is the tendency of some professionals to treat parents in a patronizing or parochial manner. This problem has been discussed by Sawyer and Sawyer (1981) who have noted that some professionals communicate to parents of retarded children in too authoritarian a manner because they falsely believe that parents lack sufficient experience or background to understand the situation.
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