Utilizing Symbolic Interactionism to Assist People with Mental Retardation during the Grieving Process

Abstract

In recent years, people with mental retardation have begun to lead lives similar to other citizens. New opportunities, such as employment within the community and/or independent habitation, have allowed this population to begin experiencing the world in much the same way as their community, or society as a whole. However, one area has largely been overlooked by academics and practitioners alike: the right to grieve, and the similarities and differences that exist for people with mental retardation during this process. This is a theoretical article that utilizes a Symbolic Interactionist perspective to examine the grieving process, and how it applies to people with mental retardation. It is suggested here that people with mental retardation have fewer selves or identities from which to draw, therefore, when losing someone to death, a person with mental retardation experiences the loss more so, as a greater proportion of the individual is lost with the death. Suggestions for teachers, counselors, and parents for assisting people with mental retardation in the grieving process are provided.