Donald Beasley Institute for research and education on intellectual disability.

Research on Parenting

Parenting by adults who have an intellectual disability

Photo of a corridor in the Donald Beasley Institute.

A major project being conducted at the present time is titled "Protecting Children - Strengthening families: When a parent has an intellectual disability". This three-year study is funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand and has the aim of exploring the support needs of parents who have an intellectual disability in New Zealand.

As part of leading ordinary lives, adults with an intellectual disability increasingly are becoming parents. While the issue of parenting by adults who have an intellectual disability has received increasing research attention internationally, research in the New Zealand context has been limited. The research has been designed to contribute to a greater understanding of the experiences and perspectives of parents who have an intellectual disability, and of the key people who provide support to them.

In addition to the focus on the key support relationship, the research aims to identify and explore the legal, policy and resource issues that also affect the provision of support to parents with an intellectual disability in New Zealand.

Research Team: Dr Brigit Mirfin-Veitch, Dr Anne Bray (Donald Beasley Institute), Ms Jenny Conder (Otago Polytechnic), Professor Robyn Munford, Dr Jackie Sanders (Massey University), Professor Mark Henaghan (University of Otago).