Study of Problems Faced by Parents of Children withDisability Using Fuzzy Cognitive Maps Model

S. UDAYAKUMAR and A. GURUMOORTHY

(Acceptance Date 24th April, 2015)

Abstract

In this paper the stress and social stigma suffered by parentsof disabled children are analysed using Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs)model. Such study is new for researchers have studied only the problemsfaced by disabled children using mathematical models. However studyof the problems faced by those parents using fuzzy models is absent inliterature. Here the study is carried out by a pilot survey of 50 oddparents who have been interviewed for this purpose.

Key words: Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs) model, HiddenPattern, Fixed point, Directed graph and connection matrix.

Ultra Scientist Vol. 27(1)B, 61-65 (2015).

1 Introduction

In this paper we mainly study theproblems faced by the parents of disabledchildren in rural areas. For it is estimated thatover 80% of the population of people withdisability live in rural areas. Further theseparents suffer from acute poverty and mostof them are uneducated who do not know thepower of education, added to all these is thesocial stigma they suffer for having a disabledchild. Interviews with them clearly confirmedthat they suffer more mental stress than theirdisabled children. The main reason attributedfor this is that the family is looked upon as acursed one so they are invariably ostracizedby other neighbouring families and by relatives.

This sort of ostracisation coupled with povertymakes them live under constant stress.

This paper has four sections, first oneis introductory in nature. Section two describesthe nodes used in the analysis of the problemand justification for using the FCMs model. Insection three the FCMs model is used in thestudy of the problem. The final section givesthe conclusions based on the model as well asthe observations got from the interview andthe suggestions given by the experts.

For the functioning of the FuzzyCognitive Maps model and their applicationsto various social problems refer1-4.

62 S. Udayakumar, et al.

2 Description of the problem and justificationfor using the FCMs models :

In this section a brief description ofeach of the attributes used and justification forusing the FCMs model is given. The study wasmade by a pilot survey of 50 parents in ruralareas who had disabled children. The followingattributes were taken after discussion withexperts and after analyzing the interviews.

P 1 Social Stigma. These families face a socialstigma for the status of their child. In manya families they are ostracized.

P 2 Economic Burden. Parents of these familiesfeel the economic burden of bring them up,so in many a cases they do not send themto school. In case of poor and very poorthey neglect the disabled child; in many acases they are always clothed with old, tornand dirty clothes. They attribute all this topoverty and many openly said they are onlylife long liability on them. So they feel spendingmoney on them is a sheer waste.

P 3 Education denied to these children. Mostparents in rural areas do not wish to spendmoney educating their children and on theirconveyance and stationaries.

P 4 Parents are under stress. Many of theparents of these disabled children clearlyacknowledged that they are under stressfor reasons best known to them.

P 5 Children remain only inside their home.Most parents feel disgraced to bring thechild outside their home for public functionsfor they fear the insults from others andthe humiliation they face from public.

P 6 No support from the government. Theybeing uneducated do not find the help theycan get from the government for their child.They are ignorant about such help. Theymainly hide the existence of their child forthe fear of social stigma.

P 7 Large family and the family income is less.

P 8 Poor or no education in the family of thesedisabled children. They being ignorant suffermore of social stigma due to poverty andilliteracy.

P 9 Poverty is the one of the major reasons forthe neglect of their disabled child by parentsor caretakers.

These were mainly given by all expertsas well as majority of parents of these disabledchildren.

Further as all the nodes are packedwith emotional and psychological feelings atthe outset we are justified in using fuzzy modelsin general and FCMs models in particular.Further this model alone can give the hiddenpattern of the problem as the data in hand isan unsupervised one.

3 Adoption of FCMs model to analyse theproblem:

Using a expert who happens to be theparent of two disabled children has given hisopinion on the problem. However we havetaken several experts in this study which isgiven in the conclusions of this paper.

The directed graph given by the parentis as follows.

Study of Problems Faced by---Using Fuzzy Cognitive Maps Model. 63

P1

P3 P8 P7

P2

P5 P6 P9

P4

Let M be the connection matrixassociated with the directed graph whichforms the dynamical system of the FCMsmodel.

M =

0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

The expert wishes first to work withthe on state of the node P1 alone using thedynamical system M.

Let X = (1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0) be theinitial state vector in which only the node P1 isin the on state and all other nodes are in theoff state.XM (1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 ) = X1 (say)( denotes the resultant vector has been

updated and thresholded )X1M (1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 ) = X2 ( say)X2M (1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 ) = X3 (say )X3M (1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 ) = X4 (say )X4M (1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 ) = X5 (say )X5M (1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 ) = X6 ( = X5).

Thus the hidden pattern is a fixed pointgiven by X5.

Hence when the node social stigmaalone is in the on state all nodes comes to onstate except the node P6, that is, “no supportfrom the government”.

It is clear social stigma has nothing todo with no support from the government tothe disabled children; however all the othernodes are so closely interrelated with socialstigma.

Next the expert wishes to work withthe node P2 alone in the on state and all othernodes are in the off state.

Let Y = ( 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ) be theinitial state vector in which only the node P2 isin the on state; to find the effect of P2 on thedynamical system, M.

We see what is the effect of theattribute economic burden alone in the on state.

YM (0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 ) = Y1 ( say )Y1M (0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 ) = Y2 (say )Y2M (0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 ) = Y3

Y3M (0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 ) = Y4 ( = Y3).

Thus the hidden pattern of Y is a fixed point.

When the family feels it is the economicburden to have a disabled child then the nodes,P3, P7 and P8 alone come to on state and allother nodes remain in the off state, there byimplying they do not educate (send them toschool ) their disabled children, the family sizeis large with poor income and they arethemselves illiterates.

Next the expert works with the nodeP6 alone in the on state; that is no governmentaid attribute alone is in the on state and allother nodes are in the off state. Let Z = (0 0 00 0 1 0 0 0) be the initial state vector with thenode P6 alone in the on state5,6.

To find the effect of Z on the dynamicalsystem M.ZM (0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 ) = Z1 (say )Z1M (0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 ) = Z2 (say )Z2M (0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 ) = Z3 (= Z2).

Thus the hidden pattern is a fixed point.This node P6 makes on only the node P8 to onstate and all other nodes remain in the off state.

That is no support from governmentclearly shows the family is not educated. Thusif they are educated certainly they could havefound means to get the support of government.

Now we study the effect of A = (0 00 0 0 0 0 0 1); that is only the node P9 – povertyis in the on state and all other nodes are in theoff state.AM (0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1) = A1 (say)A1M (0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1) = A2 (say)A2M (0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1) = A3 (say)A3M (0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1) = A4 (say)A4M (0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1) = A5 (= A4)

Thus the hidden pattern is a fixed point.

The on state of poverty makes on thenodes on the nodes P2 – Economic burden, P3

– no education to these disabled children, P7 –The large family and the family income is lowand P8 they are not educated comes to on state.Thus the conclusions were derived usingseveral such experts opinions and is given inthe following.

4 Conclusions

In this paper the following conclusionsare made from the FCMs models as well asfrom the interviews:

1. Social Stigma is the root cause for all theproblems faced by the parents of thedisabled children.

2. Further these parents suffer more than theirchildren.

3. The illiteracy status of the parents has madethem give least importance to education.So most of the disabled children are eitherschool dropouts or have never entered theschool premises.

4. Government can empower the parents bygiving some financial aid to them which inturn can help them to take better care oftheir disabled child.

5. Government should make TV shows toeducate the public that disability is not acurse or a social stigma. Unless this is donethese parents can not live in peace.

6. Government must introduce some plans togive employment to the disabled childrenwho have denied education so that they cantake care of themselves and be empowered.Some training classes for such employmentshould be given.

64 S. Udayakumar, et al.

References

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