Fathers with intellectual disabilities raising children with disabilities in Poland: An interpretive phenomenological analysis

No Thumbnail Available
File version
Author(s)
Ćwirynkało, Katarzyna
Parchomiuk, Monika
Fronek, Patricia
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
2023
Size
File type(s)
Location
License
Abstract

Research on parents with intellectual disabilities and their children tends to focus on individual risk and those factors associated with child maltreatment. Interviews and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to explore the lived experience of 10 Polish fathers with intellectual disabilities raising children with disabilities. Three main themes emerged: (1) everybody's got something, (2) on being a father, and (3) finding meaning. The findings indicated that participants focused on strengths rather than disability diagnoses. They did recognize that they experienced various challenges associated with managing some behaviours, meeting educational, health and disability needs, and that additional support was helpful. Fathers also faced socioeconomic disadvantage, limited employment opportunities, and communication difficulties with schools, bureaucracies and services, and a lack of understanding by some professionals including teachers. Fathers appreciated the support their children received. All fathers found meaning in their unique experiences of fatherhood through mutual affection and their children's successes. Recommendations for practice and future research are discussed.

Journal Title

Child & Family Social Work

Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume
Issue
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
Item Access Status
Note

This publication has been entered in Griffith Research Online as an advanced online version.

Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject

Sociology

People with disability

Social work

Applied and developmental psychology

Persistent link to this record
Citation

Ćwirynkało, K; Parchomiuk, M; Fronek, P, Fathers with intellectual disabilities raising children with disabilities in Poland: An interpretive phenomenological analysis, Child & Family Social Work, 2023

Collections