Being a parent of a child with a disability in Italy: from diagnosis to starting school

• Main Author: E. Zappella
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Stockholm University Press 2015-07-01
• Series: Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research
• Subjects: Disabled children; family; diagnosis; school
• Online Access: https://www.sjdr.se/articles/335

The birth of a child with a disability is a critical event for the whole family. Through in-depth interviews and two focus groups, I collected the testimonies of a group of parents who talked about their experience from being given the diagnosis to their children starting school. The data were analysed using a phenomenological approach in order to report the participants’ points of view. The results show the importance of three key elements that can affect the experience: how the diagnosis is communicated; a comparison with what society defines as normal; family involvement in the creation of a program that helps the child with a disability to start school. Collaboration between teachers and families can help families to take an active role and to design interventions that will enable both the child and the parents to have positive experiences regarding school.