New report - Parenting a Child with a Disability

Parenting a child with a disability: Essential ingredients for well-being in the early years – highlighting the experiences of parents of children with disabilities

This report by Dr Anne Emerson summarises the findings of an interview study conducted with 17 mothers of children attending School for Parents. School for Parents provides Conductive Education and other services to children who have a range of motor and developmental difficulties and their parents. Mothers in the study were asked about why they attended and what they and their children gained from their time in the School. In their responses mothers focused on aspects such as the family atmosphere within the School, the level of expertise and dedication of the staff, the welcome their child received and the support of other parents. In addition, there was great emphasis on how enjoyable the experience of attending School for Parents is for everyone.

Key findings are presented primarily through the words of the mothers who took part in the study. The structure follows the themes that emerged from the data and consideration is given to the ways in which these accord with research about other early years providers as well as aspects which appear to be specific to School for Parents.

Please visit the School for Parents website to download a summary or the full report.