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Article
Enhancing supports for parents with disabilities: A qualitative inquiry into parent centered planning
Journal of Family Social Work (2021)
  • Sharyn DeZelar, PhD, MSW, LICSW, St. Catherine University
  • Elizabeth Lightfoot, University of Minnesota
Abstract
There is a dearth of available supports and services aimed specifically at parents with disabilities. The Parent-Centered Planning (PCP) intervention was developed to fill this gap, aiming to enhance supports for parenting for parents with disabilities. This brief approach was modeled after person-centered planning, with a focus specifically on parenting. This qualitative paper explores the experiences of a sample of parents (N = 13) with physical, intellectual and/or developmental disabilities who participated in a pilot study of PCP. Our study found that
nearly all parents participating in the intervention strengthened relationships during the process of participation in PCP, clarified their goals related to parenting, and made progress toward their identified goals. The study also found that parents had mental health concerns, often related specifically to their disability supports. The article describes the nuances of these findings and discusses the implications for practice and future research.
Keywords
  • Parenting,
  • disability,
  • social support,
  • person-centered,
  • supportive intervention
Publication Date
2021
DOI
10.1080/10522158.2021.1938776
Citation Information
Sharyn DeZelar and Elizabeth Lightfoot. "Enhancing supports for parents with disabilities: A qualitative inquiry into parent centered planning" Journal of Family Social Work (2021)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/sharyn-dezelar/31/