“They just get it” an exploration of father's experiences and perceptions of a support group for men caring for children with disabilities and/or developmental delay

Background Support groups available to parents/carers of children with a disability or developmental delay (DDD) are predominately attended by women. Limited data exists reporting experiences of the few male‐only support groups. This paper examines experiences of fathers of children with DDD attendi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities 2021-01, Vol.34 (1), p.263-273
Main Authors: Batchelor, Molly, Maguire, Sabine, Shearn, Julia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
autism
Child Rearing
Children
Children with disabilities
Developmental Delays
Developmental disabilities
Disabilities
disability
Fathers
Foreign Countries
Gender Bias
Gender Issues
Intellectual disabilities
Males
Mens health
Parent Attitudes
parents
qualitative
Social Bias
Social support
Social Support Groups
support
Support groups
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Summary:Background Support groups available to parents/carers of children with a disability or developmental delay (DDD) are predominately attended by women. Limited data exists reporting experiences of the few male‐only support groups. This paper examines experiences of fathers of children with DDD attending a male‐only support group from South Wales. Method All fifteen members from a support group for fathers/male carers of children with DDD were invited to take part in qualitative interviews and seven participated. The data were analysed following Braun and Clarke's (Qualitative research in psychology, 2006, 3:77) thematic framework. Results Within the group, fathers felt understood by similarly situated men, and a sense of connectivity and belonging. Fathers perceived exclusion elsewhere, including mixed‐gender groups. Fathers felt permission to talk in a way consistent with their male identities, and valued receiving, and giving, support. Conclusions Mixed‐gender support groups may not meet the needs of fathers, and there are potential benefits in providing male‐only groups.
ISSN:1360-2322
1468-3148
DOI:10.1111/jar.12804