An exploration of parental perception of the nature and level of support needed to care for their child with special needs*

This paper is part of a study attempting to identify parental perception of support necessary to care for their child with special needs. The existing literature has been analysed, revealing a paucity of studies relating to the parents' perception. The study gathered data from questionnaires administered to 25 randomly selected parents who have children with special needs, exploring multi-disciplinary support. The other method used was conducting three semi structured interviews, with parents known to the paediatric team in the locality being studied. The health professionals input, respite care and overall level of support have been studied from the questionnaires. The interviews highlighted many areas where the paediatric community nurse could fulfil some of the parents' support needs. The response rate was 19 questionnaires returned, covering 21 children, as two families had two children with special needs. The results indicate that half the parents were satisfied with the support they received, with the main groups giving support being education and relatives, followed by health and social services.