RESEARCH UNDERWAY

Understanding the live of children who have a parent with an intellectual disability

Project team

Susan Collings
Prof Gwynnyth Llewellyn

Aim

To increase knowledge about the lives of children who have a parent with an intellectual disability.

Overview

There is growing international research evidence that, given timely and appropriate support, parents with intellectual disability can learn the skills necessary to provide a safe and stimulating environment for their child. Research in this area has focused on families with children under five. There is very little empirical research focused explicitly on the children of a parent with an intellectual disability or what community-based factors might serve a protective function in their lives. This project will focus on children in middle years of primary school, between grades 2-5.

The overall aim of the project is to establish how to build resilience in children through community based interventions. The role and importance of individual and family protective and vulnerability factors will also be investigated.

Approach

The study will use a qualitative design to explore the children’s perspective on being in a family headed by a parent with an intellectual disability and what resources within themselves, their family and broader social networks perform protective functions.