Learning disability imagined differently: an evaluation of interviews with parents about discovering that their child has Down’s Syndrome

Frizell, Caroline. 2021. Learning disability imagined differently: an evaluation of interviews with parents about discovering that their child has Down’s Syndrome. Disability & Society, 36(10), pp. 1574-1593. ISSN 0968-7599 [Article]

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Abstract or Description

This article presents findings of a qualitative research study evaluating interviews with eight parents about their experience of discovering their child has Down's Syndrome. The article presents five themes emerging from a qualitative research study using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as an evaluation method. The themes comprise what it is that makes a life worth living, the loss of an illusion, the language we use to speak about learning disability, the myths that surround it and wider issues of belonging. The diagnosis of a child with Down’s Syndrome confronts parents with neoliberal values, that are underpinned by the idea that happiness and fulfilment are derived from independence, success and economic productivity. As a learning disabled child is welcomed into the family, an opportunity is presented to question our assumptions and beliefs about learning disability, to re-evaluate what we mean by normal, to challenge neoliberal values and to imagine disability differently.

Item Type:

Article

Identification Number (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2020.1816904

Keywords:

Down's Syndrome, Learning disability, parents’ experiences, language, belonging

Related URLs:

Departments, Centres and Research Units:

Social, Therapeutic & Community Engagement (STaCS) > Unit for Psychotherapeutic Studies

Dates:

DateEvent
17 August 2020Accepted
9 September 2020Published Online
2021Published

Item ID:

27944

Date Deposited:

06 Jan 2020 16:04

Last Modified:

28 Apr 2022 10:23

Peer Reviewed:

Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.

URI:

https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/27944

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