Investigators: Helen Leonard, Jenny Bourke, Melissa O'Donnell
External collaborators: Gwynnyth Llewellyn (University of Sydney), Nicola Wing Young Man (University of Sydney), Catherine Wade (Parenting Research Centre)
According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, persons with disabilities have the right to experience parenthood, and the state is obliged to provide appropriate assistance for their performance of their child rearing responsibilities. However, it is unknown how parents with intellectual disabilities are managing in Australia and how support in their parenting role should be targeted and delivered.
To address this knowledge void, this project aims to estimate the prevalence and characteristics of parents with intellectual disability and their children, as well as their contact with healthcare services and child protection.