Helping Adults with Muscular Dystrophy: Rehabilitation Counseling Implications

It is estimated about 200,000 Americans have been diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy (MD), a neuromuscular disease characterized by gradual degeneration and atrophy of the muscle cells and fibers (Siegel, 1999). Functional limitations associated with MD include cognitive, social, physical/vocational, and emotional functioning. Rehabilitation counselors are advised to use a holistic approach to serving clients with MD. Compassion is key to building a meaningful professional relationship between the client and the rehabilitation counselor. However, rehabilitation counselors should neither communicate an overly pessimistic outlook nor raise false hope.