The study investigated parental sets of mothers of retarded and deaf children on the one hand, and normal children on the other. It was discovered that child pathology has a negative effect on mothers' sets. On the one hand, mothers reject retarded children, on the other - they form symbiotic relations with them, display hyper-care and desire to ensure their safety. They overconcentrate on the child feeling they are sacrificing themselves. The child's handicap limits the mother's ability to communicate with him effectively and impairs perception. Degree of deviation in the mother's attitude is directly linked to the degree of the child's pathology.