Limited knowledge is available about the experiences and outcomes of family members, specifically those of children who were raised by parent(s) with disability. This gap in research is highly consequential, influencing the development of policies that are based on prejudiced assumptions about disabled parenting, rather than on empirical evidence. This study examined the experience of 13 adult children who were raised by at least one parent with disability in order to obtain a first-hand account of their perspectives. A transcendental phenomenology facilitated objectivity while capturing the essence of their experience. Research questions presented were the following: (a) What has been the experience of adult children who grew up with parent(s) with disability? (b) What familial, interpersonal, and/or personal contexts (if any) have produced a strengths-based retrospection of the experience? The study utilized Walsh's family resilience framework as a theoretical guide to counter deficit-focused research that has dominated disability research. Findings suggest the highly systemic and contextual quality of the experience, with children reporting overall strengths-based retrospections. Participants described family processes that were critical to the development of individual resilience, including belief systems, organizational processes, and open communication. Findings also demonstrated the development of favorable child outcomes such as empathy among adult children who were raised by parent(s) with disability. The findings have research, policy, and clinical implications, emphasizing the need to amplify disability discourses within the field of family science. / Doctor of Philosophy / Discrimination against parents with disability is a long-standing issue in US history, impacting policies that lead to the involuntary separation of families. Assumptions about disabled parenting that focus on individual impairment may have contributed to this issue. The purpose of this study was to examine the experience of adult children who grew up with a parent(s) with disability, to obtain a first-hand account of their perspectives. The research questions presented were (a) What has been the experience of adult children who grew up with parent(s) with disability? (b) What familial, interpersonal and/or personal contexts (if any) have produced a strengths-based retrospection of the experience? Based on an analysis of 13 single interviews, Walsh's family resilience framework was utilized to present the findings. Findings revealed three broad themes that characterize the experience. Overall, children report strengths-based perspectives, describing the family processes that were critical to effective navigation. The experience was also highly contextual and relational, challenging traditional perspectives that have historically prevailed. The study offers research, policy, and clinical implications, directing attention to the need to amplify disability discourses within the field of Family Science.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/105175 |
| Date | 05 October 2021 |
| Creators | Shankar, Manasi |
| Contributors | Adult Learning and Human Resource Development, Teaster, Pamela B., Dolbin-MacNab, Megan Leigh, Grafsky, Erika L., Heflin, Ashley Shew |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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