Being Parents of Children with Disabilities: A Qualitative Analysis of Personal Perceptions and Service Experience

Although parents could encounter both negative and positive aspects in parenting a son with disabilities, many studies have been primarily focused on the negative aspects that increase parents’ stress level and on the factors that can reduce this level, such as social and formal support. This study aims to investigate how these parents perceive their parenting experience, focusing on the positive aspects. Furthermore, since very little is known about how Italian parents perceive formal support, this study examined how they experience care and social services. Through a thematic analysis of 11 interviews, six key themes were identified: first-hand experience of disability, disability as a drive for change and personal growth, son-centered parenting challenges, social support to be improved, social support as strength. These themes confirmed both the presence of positive aspects associated with parenting a son with disabilities and the importance of social support for the parents and highlighted the necessity of improving formal support in the Italian context to provide an assistance perceived as efficient.