A qualitative investigation into the experiences of having a parent with a learning disability

Accessible Summary: More people with a learning disability are becoming parents. We wanted to find out what it was like to have a parent with a learning disability. People told us about the good things about their parents. They also told us some difficult things about their childhood. We have ideas about how services can help families when a parent has a learning disability. Abstract: Background: More people with a learning disability are becoming parents. Little is known about the lived experiences of the children who have a parent with a learning disability. Methods: This study uses interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to understand the lived experiences of people who have a parent with a learning disability. Five people who have a parent with a learning disability were asked about their experiences of being parented and their childhood more generally. Results: Four themes emerged from the interviews: 1) ‘Fitting in’ within the wider family system, 2) The parental relationship and the impact of disability, 3) A difficult childhood and 4) Resilience. Conclusions: These findings are compared with the existing literature, and similarities and emerging findings are noted. Implications for services when supporting families with a parent who has a learning disability are discussed. Additional ideas about areas that require additional research are identified.