A debate came up in my child development class?

Question

I'm a senior in high school and am taking a child development class...we were having a group discussion and the question was "Would you keep your child if he/she was discovered to be mentally disabled?" it surprised me that half the class said abortion and the remainder said adoption...i flat out said i would keep my child and raise it to the best of my ability...soo i just want to know what the people of Y!A think..

Answer 1

That wonderful that you would have the guts to keep the baby. I would do the same thing. First, there is no guarantee that he/she will be disabled. (doctors are wrong everyday) Second, that's my child no matter what is wrong.

Answer 2

I agree with you.  First, abortion is out of the question.  Second, although the child would have problems, it's still your child.  Because you are still in high school, you are getting immature responses from your classmates.  You are seeing this question somehow from a different perspective. Good for you.

Answer 3

Here is the actual problem. Raising a child with special needs is a lot of work and it does take a special heart, but putting all of the emotional and political beliefs aside: what happens to the child once he or she becomes an adult? What becomes of that adult when you die? Does the state take said adult into custody? Dump that adult on to sibilings or family members?



You of course have to take in account that mental and physically handicapped children if not able to asimilate into society and provide for themselves will need extended care long after your gone.

Answer 4

I think that everybody makes the decision that is right for them. I definitely would not want someone to keep a baby that they thought they couldn't love or care for and do you know how hard it is to find a permanent home for a mentally handicapped child? I don't know what I would do, but whatever it was it would take more thought than just 20 minutes in a high school child development class.  

Answer 5

Ann_20 is right.  Doctors are wrong everyday....  I think it's kinda scary for a senior in high school to be asked that question.  If it were a realistic decision for a 17 yr. old in highschool to make, they'd be under a lot of pressure!!!  But since they aren't actually going through that & only being asked a hypothetical question, it's easier for many of them to choose the "easy-way-out-option."  If this were a real scenario, I'm sure they would take it a bit more seriously, digest on all options, and pray about it.  Some people may not think they are "cut out" to handle that kind of thing, but good for you for being more optimistic than the others.  

Answer 6

Absolutely, I would keep my child!!! Mentally disabled or completely healthy, that would still be a part of me, and I would love the child... and take care of every need they had.

Answer 7

i would definatly keep my child...

Good for you... you showed them!

Answer 8

I don't know.

With my first pregnancy I was terrified (of course) that there would be something wrong withthe baby... something I couldn't handle.  There is a "triple screen" test that you can have done during the pregnancy that can test for chromosomal defiencies.  When I had this done, I told myself that if my child came back with a severe health problem, I would have the pregnancy terminated.

Now that I am a Mother and know that love is unconditional, I'm still not sure what I would do.  I think it would depend on the severity of the disorder and what kind of quality of life there would be for that child.  If the severeity were enough, I would abort versus give up for adoption.  I think I would have an easier time dealing with an abortion that i would constantly wondering if the child I gave up was living a lonely, unloved life in some institution.  Giving up a child for adoption doesn't mean they end up adopted.  Many end up wards or the courts and are shuffled through the system their entire childhood.

Answer 9

I would def. keep my child. It's not the childs fault that they are disabled. Why take a life away? There are still so many wonderful possiblities. I think the people that said they wouldn't keep the kid are selfish.

Answer 10

I have the highest respect for the women who are able to raise a mentally disabled child.  Depending on the severity of the disability, I may have to put up a child for adoption.  My reasons are many, mainly a fear of the severely disabled (please don't criticize me there is a very good reason for this and I will not go into it on here) and also my ability to handle the stress that would go along with taking care of an infant for their entire life, even when the infant is 6' tall and 250 lbs, I would not be able to do that.  I do respect deeply the people who raise these children.  I personally would not be able to do it.

However, I could raise a child with Downs, autism and other mental conditions where that person has some independence.