Academic and Behavioral Reactions of Children with Disabilities to the Loss of a Firefighter Father: The New York City World Trade Center Attack 9/11/01
Main Article Content
Keywords
learning disability, grief, 9/11
Abstract
This five year comparative case study explores how children with disabilities responded to the loss of their firefighter father in the World Trade Center attack. Preliminary findings presented will be useful for teachers and researchers interested in designing appropriate interventions for children traumatized by the death of a parent.
References
Christ, G. (2000). Impact of development on children's mourning. Cancer Practice, 8(2), 72-81.
Christ, G. (2006). Providing a home-based therapeutic program for widows and children. In P. Greene, D. Kane, G. Christ, S. Lynch, & M. Corrigan (Eds.), FDNY crisis counseling: Innovative responses to 9/11 fire fighters, families and communities. New York: Wiley.
Christ, G., Siegel, K., & Christ, A. (2002). Adolescent Grief "It Never Really Hit Me...Until it Actually Happened." JAMA, 288(10), 1269-1279.
Christ, T., & Stodden, R. (2005). Advantages of developing survey constructs when comparing educational supports offered to students with disabilities in postsecondary education. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 22 (1), 23-31.
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Qualitative, quantitative & mixed methods design. London: Sage.
Dowdney, L. (2000). Annotation: Childhood bereavement following parental death. J. Child Psychol. Psychiat., 41(7), 819-920.
Dyregrov, A. (2004). Educational consequences of loss and trauma. Education and Child Psychology, 21(3), 77-84.
Elizur, E., & Kaffman, M. (1983). Factors influencing the severity of childhood bereavement reactions. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 53(4), 668-676.
Green, P., Kane, D., Christ, G., Lynch, S., & Corrigan, M. (2006). FDNY crisis counseling: Innovative responses to 9/11 firefighters, families, and communities. New York: Wiley.
Haine, R., Wolchick, S., Sandler, I., Millsap, I., Roger, E., & Tim, S. (2006). Positive parenting as a protective resource for parentally bereaved children. Death Studies, 30(1), 1-28.
Kwok, O., Haine, R., Sandler, I., Ayers, T., Wolchik, S., & Tein, J. (2005). Positive parenting as a mediator of the relations between parental psychological distress and mental health problems of parentally bereaved children. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 34(2), 260-271.
Lin, A., Sandler, I., Ayers, T., Wolchik, S., & Luecken, L. (2004). Resilience in parentally bereaved children and adolescents seeking preventive services. Journal of Clinical child and Adolescent Psychology, 33(4), 673-683.
Lutzke, J., Ayers, T., Sandler, I., & Barr, A. (1997). Risks and interventions for the parentally bereaved child. In S. Wolchik & I. Sandler (Eds.), Handbook of children's coping: Linking theory and intervention (pp. 215-243). New York: Plenum Press.
Malkinson, R., Rubin, S. S., & Witztum, E. (Eds.). (2000). Traumatic and nontraumatic loss and bereavement: Clinical theory and practice: (2000). xvii, 346pp.
Miles, M., & Huberman, A. (1994). Qualitative data analysis (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Maxwell, J. (2005). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach (3rd ed.). London: Sage.
Pfefferbaum, B., Nixon, S. J., Tucker, P. M., Tivis, R. D., Moore, V. L., Gurwitch, R. H., et al. (1999). Posttraumatic stress responses in bereaved children after the Oklahoma City bombing. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 38(11), 1372-1379.
Raveis, V., Siegel, K., & Karus, D. (1999). Children's psychological distress following the death of a parent. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 28(2), 165-180.
Sanders, C. (1989). Grief: The mourning after. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Sandler, I. N., Ayers, T. S., Wolchik, S. A., Tein, J.-Y., Kwok, O., & Haine, R. (2003). The family bereavement program: Efficacy evaluation of a theory-based prevention program for parentally bereaved children and adolescents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71(3), 587-600.
Siegel, K., Mesagno, F., Karus, D., Christ, G., Banks, G., & Moynihan, R. (1992). Psychosocial adjustment of children with a terminally ill parent. Journal of the American Academy of Child/Adolescent Psychiatry, 31, 327-333.
Siegel, K., Mesagno, R., & Christ, G. (1990). A preventive program for bereaved children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 60, 168-175.
Silverman, P., & Worden, W. (1992). Children's reactions in the early months after the death of a parent. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 62, 93-104.
Tashakkori, T., & Teddlie, C. (1998). Mixed methodology: Combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Thompson, M., Kaslow, N., Price, A., Williams, K., & Kingree, J. (1998). Role of secondary stressors in the parental death-child distress relation. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 26, 357-366.
Tremblay, G. C., & Israel, A. C. (1998). Children's adjustment to parental death. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 5(4), 424-438.
Weller, R., Weller, E., Fristad, M., & Bowes, J. (1991). Depression in recently bereaved prepubertal children. American Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 1536-1540.
West, D. L. (1997). Perceived effects of media attention of child trauma victims and their families. California School of Professional Psychology - Berkeley/Alameda, US,1.
Whelley, T., Radtke, R., Burgstahler, S., & Christ, T. (2003). Mentors, advisers, role models and peer supporters: Career development relationships and individuals with disabilities. American Rehabilitation, 27(1) 42-49.
Worden, J. (1996). Children and grief: When a parent dies. New York: Guilford Press.
Yin, R. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods (3rd ed.). London: Sage.
Christ, G. (2006). Providing a home-based therapeutic program for widows and children. In P. Greene, D. Kane, G. Christ, S. Lynch, & M. Corrigan (Eds.), FDNY crisis counseling: Innovative responses to 9/11 fire fighters, families and communities. New York: Wiley.
Christ, G., Siegel, K., & Christ, A. (2002). Adolescent Grief "It Never Really Hit Me...Until it Actually Happened." JAMA, 288(10), 1269-1279.
Christ, T., & Stodden, R. (2005). Advantages of developing survey constructs when comparing educational supports offered to students with disabilities in postsecondary education. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 22 (1), 23-31.
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Qualitative, quantitative & mixed methods design. London: Sage.
Dowdney, L. (2000). Annotation: Childhood bereavement following parental death. J. Child Psychol. Psychiat., 41(7), 819-920.
Dyregrov, A. (2004). Educational consequences of loss and trauma. Education and Child Psychology, 21(3), 77-84.
Elizur, E., & Kaffman, M. (1983). Factors influencing the severity of childhood bereavement reactions. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 53(4), 668-676.
Green, P., Kane, D., Christ, G., Lynch, S., & Corrigan, M. (2006). FDNY crisis counseling: Innovative responses to 9/11 firefighters, families, and communities. New York: Wiley.
Haine, R., Wolchick, S., Sandler, I., Millsap, I., Roger, E., & Tim, S. (2006). Positive parenting as a protective resource for parentally bereaved children. Death Studies, 30(1), 1-28.
Kwok, O., Haine, R., Sandler, I., Ayers, T., Wolchik, S., & Tein, J. (2005). Positive parenting as a mediator of the relations between parental psychological distress and mental health problems of parentally bereaved children. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 34(2), 260-271.
Lin, A., Sandler, I., Ayers, T., Wolchik, S., & Luecken, L. (2004). Resilience in parentally bereaved children and adolescents seeking preventive services. Journal of Clinical child and Adolescent Psychology, 33(4), 673-683.
Lutzke, J., Ayers, T., Sandler, I., & Barr, A. (1997). Risks and interventions for the parentally bereaved child. In S. Wolchik & I. Sandler (Eds.), Handbook of children's coping: Linking theory and intervention (pp. 215-243). New York: Plenum Press.
Malkinson, R., Rubin, S. S., & Witztum, E. (Eds.). (2000). Traumatic and nontraumatic loss and bereavement: Clinical theory and practice: (2000). xvii, 346pp.
Miles, M., & Huberman, A. (1994). Qualitative data analysis (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Maxwell, J. (2005). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach (3rd ed.). London: Sage.
Pfefferbaum, B., Nixon, S. J., Tucker, P. M., Tivis, R. D., Moore, V. L., Gurwitch, R. H., et al. (1999). Posttraumatic stress responses in bereaved children after the Oklahoma City bombing. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 38(11), 1372-1379.
Raveis, V., Siegel, K., & Karus, D. (1999). Children's psychological distress following the death of a parent. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 28(2), 165-180.
Sanders, C. (1989). Grief: The mourning after. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Sandler, I. N., Ayers, T. S., Wolchik, S. A., Tein, J.-Y., Kwok, O., & Haine, R. (2003). The family bereavement program: Efficacy evaluation of a theory-based prevention program for parentally bereaved children and adolescents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71(3), 587-600.
Siegel, K., Mesagno, F., Karus, D., Christ, G., Banks, G., & Moynihan, R. (1992). Psychosocial adjustment of children with a terminally ill parent. Journal of the American Academy of Child/Adolescent Psychiatry, 31, 327-333.
Siegel, K., Mesagno, R., & Christ, G. (1990). A preventive program for bereaved children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 60, 168-175.
Silverman, P., & Worden, W. (1992). Children's reactions in the early months after the death of a parent. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 62, 93-104.
Tashakkori, T., & Teddlie, C. (1998). Mixed methodology: Combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Thompson, M., Kaslow, N., Price, A., Williams, K., & Kingree, J. (1998). Role of secondary stressors in the parental death-child distress relation. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 26, 357-366.
Tremblay, G. C., & Israel, A. C. (1998). Children's adjustment to parental death. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 5(4), 424-438.
Weller, R., Weller, E., Fristad, M., & Bowes, J. (1991). Depression in recently bereaved prepubertal children. American Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 1536-1540.
West, D. L. (1997). Perceived effects of media attention of child trauma victims and their families. California School of Professional Psychology - Berkeley/Alameda, US,1.
Whelley, T., Radtke, R., Burgstahler, S., & Christ, T. (2003). Mentors, advisers, role models and peer supporters: Career development relationships and individuals with disabilities. American Rehabilitation, 27(1) 42-49.
Worden, J. (1996). Children and grief: When a parent dies. New York: Guilford Press.
Yin, R. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods (3rd ed.). London: Sage.
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Dec 17, 2014
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Author Biographies
Grace H. Christ, Associate Professor, Columbia University School of Social Work
Grace H. Christ, MSW, DSW., Associate Professor, Columbia University School of Social Work. She is director of the FDNY-CSU/Columbia University Family Guidance Program and a specialist in child bereavement research.
Thomas W. Christ, University of Hawaii
Thomas W. Christ, Ed.S, Ph.D., is a School Psychologist and Learning Disability specialist who teaches graduate research methods and educational psychology courses at the University of Hawaii. His research interests include international education, post secondary student services, evaluation, and qualitative research methods.