Supporting Parents of Children with Disabilities

Good quality relationships are an integral part of each individual’s health and well-being. 

A survey conducted by Relate UK found over one third of parents of a child/ children with a disability were in distressed relationships. It was also found that these parents were more than twice as likely (as parents of children without a disability) to report feeling down, depressed or hopeless. It is recommended in this study that these parents should have accessed to “targeted relationship support”. We, at Ag Eisteacht, envisage a society where this targeted support can come from front-line workers (Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, etc.) without adding stress or pressure to either party.

Approximately 80% of participants in our ABLE course thus far have been front line staff working in the disability services. Workers in this sector are incredibly busy and under a huge amount of time pressure with heavy caseloads each day. This is why our brief intervention model- ABLE is incredibly useful in building relationships with parents and families.

Parenting a child with a disability is about partnership with services and working together towards a common goal. We strive to strengthen these partnerships between parents and service providers and build trust, and mutual respect.

If you are a front-line worker working in the disability services and you feel this is something that would benefit your team please contact [email protected] or phone 021 4536556 to discuss the various training options available.

Bibliography:

Marjoribanks, Dr.David. Under Pressure- The Relationships Of UK Parents Who Have A Child With A Learning Disability. Relate, 2017. Print.