Fathers of children with Downs syndrome versus other types of intellectual disability: perceptions, stress and involvement

Background The present study examined fathersʹ perceptions of, stress relating to and involvement with children with Downʹs syndrome (DS) (n = 30) versus those with other types of intellectual disability (ID) (n = 20). Methods Fathers and mothers completed questionnaires about their childrenʹs personalities and maladaptive behaviours, their own parenting stress, and the fathersʹ level of involvement. Results Both fathers and mothers rated their children with DS as having more positive personality traits and fewer maladaptive behaviours. Possibly because of these positive perceptions, fathers of children with DS also reported less child-related stress, particularly in the areas of acceptability, adaptability and demandingness. The two groups of fathers were very similarly involved in child rearing. The personality, age and maladaptive behaviours of the children related to stress levels in the fathers of children with DS, while maladaptive behaviours, gender and the fathersʹ education levels related to stress levels in the fathers of children with other types of ID. Conclusions These results highlight the importance of examining parental stress and involvement with children with different types of ID.