Enhancing Interpersonal Communication in Couples With Special Needs Children: An Examination of Behavioral Couple Therapy Interventions
Abstract
This case report aims to report the handling of cases of ineffective communication between husband and wife in families who have children with special needs. The problem that arises in this family is the problem of ineffective communication. This problem causes disharmony within the family which has an impact on children with special needs. Participants were husband and wife who had been married for 40 years. The husband works as a casual laborer and the wife is a housewife. The methods used are interviews and observation as an assessment as well as behavioral couple therapy intervention with behavior exchange techniques and communication skills training as an effort to overcome husband–wife communication problems. The results of the intervention showed that previously ineffective communication had changed to become more effective. Changes in communication make husband and wife closer. Wives begin to serve their husbands, such as preparing food and other household needs as well as dividing the tasks of caring for children. Husbands also started to work more diligently, and wanted to eat their wives’ cooking which they previously didn’t want to do. In conclusion, behavioral couples therapy can overcome the problem of ineffective communication between husband and wife. This finding is interesting because post-covid family problems are still common and can reduce the quality of a couple’s relationship.
Keywords: aversive communication, behavoral couple therapy, couple
References
[1] Kanter JB, Lavner JA, Lannin DG, Hilgard J, Monk JK. Does couple communication predict later relationship quality and dissolution? A meta?analysis. Journal of Marriage and Family 2022;84:533–551.
[2] Pietromonaco PR, Overall NC. Applying relationship science to evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic may impact couples’ relationships. American Psychologist 2021;76:438.
[3] Stanley SM, Markman HJ. Helping couples in the shadow of COVID?19. Family Process 2020;59:937–955.
[4] Sáenz R, Sparks C. The inequities of job loss and recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic 2020. https://doi.org/https://dx.doi.org/10.34051/p/2021.3
[5] Kaushik M, Guleria N. The impact of pandemic COVID-19 in workplace. European Journal of Business and Management. 2020;12:1–10.
[6] Vargas ED, Sanchez GR. COVID-19 is having a devastating impact on the economic well-being of Latino families. Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy. 2020;3:262– 269.
[7] Carroll N, Sadowski A, Laila A, Hruska V, Nixon M, Ma DWL, et al. The impact of COVID-19 on health behavior, stress, financial and food security among middle tohigh income Canadian families with young children. Nutrients. 2020;12:2352.
[8] Mires CB, Lee DL, McNaughton D. “Every child that is a foster child is marked from the beginning”: The home-school communication experiences of foster parents of children with disabilities. Child Abuse & Neglect. 2018;75:61–72.
[9] Vandesande S, Bosmans G, Maes B. Can I be your safe haven and secure base? A parental perspective on parent-child attachment in young children with a severe or profound intellectual disability. Research in Developmental Disabilities. 2019;93:103452.
[10] Lipkin M, Crepeau?Hobson F. The impact of the COVID?19 school closures on families with children with disabilities: A qualitative analysis. Psychology in the Schools. 2023;60:1544–1559.
[11] Rababah A, Khlaifat D, Abdelfattah F, Busaad Y, Alqaryouti I, AlAwamleh A. The impact of covid-19 on parents of children with disability: Educational needs and challenges. International Journal of Instruction. 2022;15.
[12] Luetke M, Hensel D, Herbenick D, Rosenberg M. Romantic relationship conflict due to the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in intimate and sexual behaviors in a nationally representative sample of American adults. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. 2020;46:747–762.
[13] Mushtaque I, Rizwan M, Abbas M, Khan AA, Fatima SM, Jaffri QA, et al. Inter-parental conflict’s persistent effects on adolescent psychological distress, adjustment issues, and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 lockdown. OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying. 2021:00302228211054316.
[14] Liem A, Prawira B, Magdalena S, Siandita MJ, Hudiyana J. Predicting self-harm and suicide ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia: A nationwide survey report. BMC Psychiatry. 2022;22:1–10.
[15] Mulyana Y, Akbar Z, Zainal H, Yusriadi Y, Tahir SZ Bin. High domestic violence during the pandemic COVID-19. Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management. Universitas Iqra Buru; 2021. 6283–6290 p.
[16] Ramadhani SR, Nurwati N. Dampak pandemi Covid-19 terhadap angka perceraian. Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat: Kesehatan. 2021;2:88–94.
[17] Balzarini RN, Muise A, Zoppolat G, Di Bartolomeo A, Rodrigues DL, Alonso-Ferres M, et al. Love in the time of COVID: Perceived partner responsiveness buffers people from lower relationship quality associated with COVID-related stressors. Social Psychological and Personality Science. 2023;14:342–355.
[18] Beckmeyer JJ, Russell LT. Divorced coparents’ experiences during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage. 2023;64:31–54.
[19] Heard G, Bickerdike A, Opoku S. Remote family dispute resolution services for COVID and post?COVID times: Client and practitioner perspectives. Family Court Review. 2022;60:220–240.
[20] Ryan C, Quinlan E. Whoever shouts the loudest: Listening to parents of children with disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities. 2018;31:203–214.
[21] Beach SRH, Lei M-K, Lavner JA, Adesogan O, Carter SE, Barton AW. Strengthening couple functioning promotes resilience to COVID-19-related stressors among Black Americans. Journal of Family Psychology. 2023;37:497–506.
[22] Morland LA, Knopp KC, Khalifian CE, Macdonald A, Grubbs KM, Mackintosh M-A, et al. A randomized trial of brief couple therapy for PTSD and relationship satisfaction. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2022;90:392.
[23] Heidari Z, Ghamari M, Jafari A, Kian AA. The effectiveness of integrative behavioral couple therapy (IBCT) on family function of the couples: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Human, Environment and Health Promotion. 2021;7.
[24] Fitzpatrick MA. Family communication patterns theory: Observations on its development and application. Journal of Family Communication. 2004;4:167–179.
[25] Oncol CT. Why not to publish case reports? Clinical and Translational Oncology. 2010;12:157.
[26] Turner LH, West R. Perpectives on family communication. 2012.
[27] Jefferey N, Spancer R, Greene B. Abnormal psychology. New Jersey: 2013. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004
[28] Corey G. Theory and practic e of counseling and psychotherapy. USA: Cangage Learning; 2017.
[29] Skinner BF. Science and human behavior. Cambridge: The Free Press; 1965.
[30] Skinner BF. Contingencies of reinforcement: A theoretical analysis. vol. 3. BF Skinner Foundation; 2014.
[31] McCollum S, Banas SL. Managing conflict resolution. New York: Infobase Publishing; 2009.
[32] Skinner BF. About behaviorism. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.; 1976.
[33] Segrin C, Flora J. Family communication. Routledge; 2018.
[34] Galvin KM, Braithwaite DO, Bylund CL. Family communication: Cohesion and change. London: Routledge; 2015.
[35] Skinner BF. The selection of behavior: The operant behaviorism of BF Skinner: Comments and consequences. CUP Archive; 1988.
[36] Samp J, Abbot T. Women coping with cancer: Family communication, conflict, and support. In: Cam W, Dickson L, editors. Commun. Fam. Cris. Theor. Res. Strateg., New York: Peter lank; 2012.
[37] O’Farrell TJ, Fals-Stewart W. Behavioral couples therapy for alcoholism and drug abuse. New York: Guilford Press; 2006.
[38] Rajaei A, Daneshpour M, Robertson J. The effectiveness of couples therapy based on the Gottman method among Iranian couples with conflicts: A quasi-experimental study. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy. 2019;18:223–240.
[39] Cornelius TL, Alessi G, Shorey RC. The effectiveness of communication skills training with married couples: Does the issue discussed matter? Family Journal. 2007;15:124– 132.
[40] Christensen A, Atkins DC, Baucom B, Yi J. Marital status and satisfaction five years following a randomized clinical trial comparing traditional versus integrative behavioral couple therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2010;78:225.
[41] Haris F, Kumar A. Marital satisfaction and communication skills among married couples. Indian Journal of Social Research. 2018;59:35–44.
[42] Hrapczynski KM, Epstein NB, Werlinich CA, LaTaillade JJ. Changes in negative attributions during couple therapy for abusive behavior: Relations to changes in satisfaction and behavior. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. 2012;38:117–132.