Fathers caring for a child with a Learning Disability and Autism
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An exploration into the experiences of fathers caring for a child with a dual diagnosis of a learning disability and Autism Spectrum Condition
IRAS ID
232304
Contact name
Harriet Cameron
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Manchester Metropolitan University, Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 3 days
Research summary
'An Exploration into the Experiences of Father's caring for a child with a Dual Diagnosis of a Learning Disability and Autism Spectrum Condition.'
There is very little current research on father's experiences of caring for a child with a dual diagnosis of a learning disability and autism. Father's are often perceived as the 'peripheral parent' and their needs are less well understood than those of the mother. Research that has been carried out tends to be dominated by highly educated middle class father's. Most research on fathers caring for a child with autism tends to be quantitative with data collected via questionnaires and this can be quite limiting as the questions are triggered by the researcher. Questionnaires may limit the richness of data and may miss essential information. The attainment of deep level understanding would be via phenomenological research. There has been limited research using this methodology which has been confined to fathers of children with autism only. Deep level understanding would be beneficial in comprehending the father's experiences as this will help professionals to support them better and ensure their involvement in their child's care. This will benefit the child with autism in terms of their development.
The research will use interview methods involving 4 participants. The interviews may last up to 90 minutes. These will be recorded using a digital audio device and data will be transcribed and analysed. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) will be the methodology. This means understanding and interpreting meaning of Father's experiences and identification of themes. This process may allow new ways of thinking and links to theories.
The interviews will take place in a venue convenient for the Father eg home or NHS building.
The whole research project should take 7 months.
REC name
South Central - Oxford B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SC/0513
Date of REC Opinion
27 Sep 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion