Booth, T. & Booth, W,

2000,

Reviewed by Dr Susan McGaw,
Cornwall Partnership (NHS) Trust.

 
Methodology

Long-term outcomes regarding the children born to and raised by, parents with learning disabilities, is sparse and mostly anecdotal. Nevertheless, questions remain as to whether the competency and capacity of parents with learning disabilities is sufficient enough to provide adequate parenting to their children. The absence of longitudinal studies and inability of support services to track the children's progress from birth to adulthood, is therefore of ongoing concern. Whilst this paper does not fill this gap, it does offer qualitative data on the outcomes of a small cohort of adult-children that is informative and stimulating. The authors have based their paper on material drawn from a study in which they investigated the experiences of people who were brought up by a parent or parents with learning disabilities. The adult-child's transition to adulthood is the main theme investigated in the paper.

In-depth interviews were the primary method of data-collection, from which the authors assessed the pathway of a risk-filled upbringing' for the children of parents with learning disabilities. Overall, the authors conducted 82 'life review' interviews with 30 participants, during which time they reflected on and appraised past experiences, across three separate interview sessions. The interviews generated data in the form of life-stories which the authors subsequently evaluated in terms of their referential functions and constative elements.

The sample group included 30 adults (16 men, age range 18-42 years and 14 women, age range 16-37 years). Participants were selected on the basis of them having spent most of their childhood living in a family where one or both parents had learning disabilities. Among the sample group, 28 out of the 30 participants had just one parent with learning disabilities, usually the mother (25 cases). Only 9 families were still intact and had survived death, separation or divorce.

Critical appraisal

Sampling was a major problem for the authors as they experienced difficulties in identifying now-adult children of parents with learning disabilities. As a result, compromises were made to the eligibility of the sample group that may have threatened the integrity of the findings and resulted in a skewed sample.

For example, the sample group included 6 pairs of siblings (representing 12 out of the 30 participants), for whom parenting experiences will not have been mutually exclusive. Also, there was a wide age range of adult-children whose childhood memories may have varied in terms of accuracy and maturity of introspection.

In addition, there are difficulties in gauging the reported findings against the experiences of: a) now-adult children who were raised by two parents with learning disabilities, b) other populations of now-adult children with learning disabilities whose parents did not have learning disabilities and c), now-adult children who were removed from their parent's care and placed in alternative care (foster care or adoptive care) during their childhood.

Key findings

• Across the 30 now-adult children, 11 absconded from school, 11 had been involved with the police (3 of them had been incarcerated in prison), 7 reported mental health problems, 8 suffered chronic ill-health, 2 had attempted suicide, 11 were divorced or separated, and 16 had experienced some form of abuse.
• The authors conclude that despite the problems that the participants encountered in their childhood, many of which originated outside the home, most of them had maintained a valued relationship with their family and remained close to their mother.
• They also conclude that the findings cast doubt on some of the core assumptions that characterise the damage model for the children of parents with learning disabilities. They point out that many now adult-children were considerably adaptable and resilient when faced with adverse situations during their childhood. They call for a reappraisal of the meaning of parental competence, which recognises the notion of resilience as a compensatory factor shielding children from the potentially harmful effects of parenting deficits.

Practice implications

The implications of the study are limited due to its size and the characteristics of the sample group. Nevertheless, it is an informative and extremely interesting evaluation which throws some light on some of the as yet unanswered questions regarding long-term outcomes for children raised by parents with learning disabilities. In their discussion, the authors challenge professional thinking on: a) parental competence and child outcomes across the life cycle, b) the notion of distributed competence and the importance of parenting as a shared activity, c) the importance of the family in adulthood and d), the part played by social exclusion in shaping the now-adult children's lives. Altogether, thought provoking, especially for social workers involved in parenting assessments and family support.

Policy implications