A comparison of couples’ views on caring for their child with intellectual disability

The failure of past research to identify a set of common problems experienced by parents of children with intellectual disability, which has been seen as undermining the deterministic model of child impact on parents, could be reinterpreted as a function of child individuality. This possibility was tested by comparing views of couples. Although the low level of identical responses does not lend support to the deterministic model, the high level of similarity suggests that the buffering effect of parent outlook should not be overestimated. There is a need for caution in trying to help parents adopt a positive view of their circumstances.