Fathers’ Involvement in Childrearing Practices of Their Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Background: Father Involvement in education of children with intellectual disabilities (ID) is extremely important for both school learning and healthy development of children with ID in family. Father involvement was explained by engagement, availability and responsibility. It can be stated that engagement requires spending time and efficient interaction with children. The purpose of this study was to investigate father involvement in childrearing practices about children with ID. Methods: The descriptive method was used in the study. Participants included 41 mothers and 41 fathers of children with ID Paternal Involvement of Child Care Index (PICCI) was used to collect data about father involvement and a family information form was used to collect data about the demographic features of families. The involvement of fathers was determined with the evaluations of both parents (father and mother). Results: Results, according to the both parents’ evaluations, indicated that father involvement in general was higher than the average. In the evaluations of both parents on father involvement, results also revealed that father involvement was low in “Child Care Responsibilities” only; however, other sub-areas of involvement were high. It was found that especially mothers were responsible as primary caregiver for the child care. Results also indicated that a significant relation was not found between family finances (monthly income of family), weekly working hours of fathers and gender of children with ID and the father involvement in childrearing practices with their children with ID. Conclusions: The literature about the fathers’ role in families and father-child relationship with normally developing children usually show father involvement is low. This research shows that fathers involve childrearing practices of their children with ID. In direction of the research results, it can be said that having special needs is an effective factor for father involvement.