Parental experiences of caring for a child with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

A structured literature search and thematic analysis of six research articles relating to stress and parenting of a child with an intellectual disability in the United Kingdom identified four key themes: impact upon families, service provision and support networks, coping and transition. The findings identified that parenting a child with an intellectual disability is not always a negative role; it is a role that parents find both rewarding and empowering. However, the findings of the literature review primarily related to mothers of children with an intellectual disability with very little focus on the experiences of fathers.