Group Intervention for Parents with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

• Parents with IDDs are at high risk of having children placed in foster care.
• A group intervention developed in Australia, applied in Sweden, helps mothers deal with grief and new parenting roles.
• Study explores long-term outcomes on mothering role, child visits, and support needs.
• Intervention fosters insights, acceptance of help, better relationships with social services, and improved parenting strategies.
• Grief and loss feelings persist, but wellbeing and reconciliation can be achieved.

Plain Language Summary

• Study evaluates support program for mothers with disabilities having children in foster care.
• Program aids emotional coping and new parenting role.
• Interviews conducted before, immediately after, and one year post-program.
• Program enhances willingness to seek help, better collaboration with social services, and parenting skills.

Introduction

Parents With IDDs and Parenting Skills

• IDDs encompass intellectual disability, ADHD, autism, etc.
• Parents with IDDs often lack tailored support, rated lower in parental competence.
• Interactional model highlights the impact of crises, trauma, insufficient support, and discrimination on caregiving.
• Stereotypes and low expectations influence social services' decisions.

Difficult Process of Parents with Children in Placement

• Child-caregiver separation is life-changing and challenging for parents.
• Mothers must renegotiate identity and deal with loss.
• Mothers with IDDs face unique challenges due to limited coping resources and social support.
• Need for professional support to cope with grief.

Support for Parents with IDDs

• Tailored support is necessary for mothers with IDDs whose children are in care.
• Group interventions can improve well-being, parenting skills, and social trust.
• The intervention "After all, I Am a Mother" aims to support mothers in Sweden.

Method

• Qualitative single-case design with three mothers, pre- and post-intervention interviews.
• Interviews analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Participants

• Three mothers with IDDs, details provided in study.

Data Collection

• Interviews conducted in a support group setting.
• Semi-structured questions focused on parenting role, visits, and support needs.

Group Intervention

• Eight sessions tailored for parents with IDDs, focusing on cognitive functions and coping strategies.

Data Analyses

• Analysis focused on mothering role, visits, and support.
• Results categorized and compared over time.

Findings

Experiences of the Mothering Role

• Persisting Experiences: Children are most important, feelings of grief, guilt, and longing.
• Changing Experiences: From deprivation of mothering role to acceptance and insights into strengths and limitations.

Experiences of Visits

• Persisting Experiences: Ambivalence towards foster home roles, loss of rights.
• Changing Experiences: Acceptance of visit constraints, improved ability to express needs, and better strategies for building relationships.

Experiences of Support

• Persisting Experiences: Feeling of abandonment and neglect by social services.
• Changing Experiences: From reluctance to acceptance of support, insights into valuing appropriate assistance.

Discussion

• Intervention helps broaden perspectives, build emotional support networks, and gain insights.
• Long-term positive outcomes evident up to 14 months post-intervention.

Main Findings

• Persistent grief and importance of children.
• Shift from deprivation of mothering role to understanding and acceptance.
• Improved social skills and coping strategies.

Conclusion

• Tailored interventions can significantly improve wellbeing and reconciliation for mothers with IDDs.
• Further research needed on prejudice in social care systems and group interventions in various contexts.

Clinical Implications

• Support programs are crucial for empowering parents with IDDs.
• Benefits of intervention can last at least a year, aiding parent-child relationships and collaboration with social workers.

Acknowledgments

• Gratitude expressed to participants.

References

• Comprehensive list of scholarly references supporting the study.