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

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.