Paternal Role of Fathers in Families of Parents With Intellectual Disabilities: Views, Barriers and Facilitators in Fulfilling This Role.
M van Nieuwenhuijzen, P Riksten, S Koet and 1 others
PMID 40576222WHAT IT FOUND
Fathers in families with intellectual disabilities want to be involved and recognized as parents, but face barriers like maternal gatekeeping, service focus on mothers, and stigma.
Facilitators include direct contact, flexible hours, male professionals, and co-parenting support.
Key findings
01Fathers view their role as equally important to mothers, focusing on providing, teaching, and activities, but often face exclusion from parenting support services that prioritize mothers.
02Barriers to involvement include complex relationship dynamics with the mother, distance from the family due to separation or work, and mutual distrust between fathers and professionals.
03Facilitators identified include establishing direct contact with fathers from the start, offering flexible appointment times, using male professionals, and supporting co-parenting.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Small sample size (9 fathers, 14 professionals) limits generalizability. Recruitment via organizations may have selected for fathers already known to services. Mixed group of fathers with and without intellectual disabilities. Different interview settings for fathers (in-person) and professionals (online/focus group).
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw).
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these findings prove that involving fathers improves child outcomes; this study reports perceptions and barriers, not efficacy. The small sample size means these themes may not apply to all families with intellectual disabilities.