Maternal rejection and the child with learning disability

Abstract

Since maternal rejection and a narcissistic mother pose a threat to the child, this study was done to investigate how these factors are associated with children with a learning disability. The first part of the thesis discussed the subject of learning disability in the child; and how maternal rejection affects the childs academic performance. The methodological approach was then discussed in the second part of the thesis, in which it was supported under the psychoanalytical clinical framework, where it analyses the research problem by collecting data from the persons behavioral maladjustment, academic performance and from the childs parents and teachers. The subjects in this study were two boys and one girl. They were diagnosed with learning disabilities according to their academic and behavioral performances by their neurologists and by their school psychologists. The tools administered to the children were two projective tests; the Family Apperception Test (FAT) and the Childrens Apperception Test (CAT). In addition, unstructured observations and a semi-structured interview were conducted to gather information about the child and his relationship with family members and environment. The results revealed that the narcissistic nature of the mother and maternal rejection affect the childs feelings leading them to experience emotional issues associated with the development of learning disabilities such as anxiety, emotional distress, insecure feelings, and sibling jealousy. We can briefly conclude that symptoms such as, attention deficit, poor academic performance, dyslexia, dyscalculia and aggression are associated to the maternal rejection towards the child. To avoid such tragic atmospheres, the childs interaction with the mother, the father, and the siblings should be based on emotional and caring values that play a crucial role in the childs emotional and intellectual development.