Intellectual Disability in the Family Context

Abstract

Literature with regard to parents with intellectual disability is scant. On one hand, parents with intellectual disability engage in the valued social role of raising children; on the other, their parenting attracts (typically negative) attention based on an expectation of their limited capacities to parent. Available research primarily addresses the question of whether or not individuals with intellectual disability can be adequate parents or reports on methods for improving their parenting skills. There has been relatively negligible work in the Indian context with regard to parents with intellectual disability. This paper attempts to review literature on the current data available about parents and parenting with intellectual disability in the Indian context concentrating on directions for future research.