Parents' needs of children with intellectual disability

Abstract

Background: Parents have a fundamental and important impact on the child’s growth and development in various developmental, emotional, and mental aspects, and this effect increases if the child has a disability, as the period of his dependence on his parents is prolonged, and thus problems arise that require special needs. The study aimed to assess the parents' needs of children with intellectual disability and determine the associated socio-demographic variables. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted by purposive sample of 123 parents of intellectual disability was selected through the use a non-probability sampling approach. The reliability of the questionnaire was achieved through a pilot study and then presented to experts to prove its validity. The total number of items included in the questionnaire was 15-items for cognitive needs, 12-items for material, 13-items for social needs and 8-items for emotional needs. The data was collected by using the interview method and analyzed by the application of descriptive and inferential statistical data analysis approach.