Barriers Confronting Parents Caring of Children with Intellectual Disabilities: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

Intellectual disabilities is the most common disabilities in children and young adults which significantly refers to subaverage general intellectual functioning existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period. Aim: The study aims to assess barriers confronting parents caring of children with intellectual disabilities. Design: A descriptive exploratory study. Sampling: A purposive sample comprised of 150 parents of children with intellectual disabilities. Setting: This study was conducted at Itay Elbarood School for children with Intellectual Disabilities affiliated to Damanhour University at Elbehera governrate. Tools of data collection: included 2 tools: Interviewing Questionnaire to assess needs and knowledge of parents about intellectual disability and Likert Scale to assess parents' attitude regarding abilities in facing barriers to successful parenting during perform daily activities. Results: This study revealed that the mean age of studied parents was 32.26±4.2, and majority of them had unsatisfactory knowledge about intellectual disabilities and high total needs level, and most of them had medium attitude toward caring level. Conclusion: the current study concluded that families living with intellectual disability children have physical, social, psychological and emotional barriers that confronting parents caring of children with intellectual disabilities. In addition, many factors such as child sex, age, birth order had a role in shaping the parents knowledge and caring level of children with intellectual disability. Recommendations: The study recommended that pediatric rehabilitation units should be established for supporting, exchanging experiences and advices among parents and families of children with intellectual disabilities.