| This study is a narrative analysis of fathers' experiences in having a child with intellectual disability in Hong Kong. The study explored the fathers' subjective interpretation of their lived experiences. It included their reactions in having the special child, their experience of parenting the child, and the meaning derived from the experience. The cultural and contextual factors that had influenced their interpretation of their experience were also explored. Fifteen fathers who had a child aged 12 to 16 with mild grade intellectual disability participated in the study. Each of them was invited to attend two in-depth interviews with the duration of about two hours each.;These 15 fathers were of diversified backgrounds and each of them had their unique story, but they also shared similar experiences in parenting their special child. Generally they shared common characteristics of adhering to the values of traditional Chinese males, while at the same time they also adopted some of the western ways of taking up the roles of a husband and a father. During the interviews, they were able to disclose their long suppressed feelings and reveal their struggles in overcoming the various difficulties in fathering the child. They had pains and sorrows, but they also experienced joy and pride in being the father of a special child. In the course of parenting they showed gradual acceptance of having the child but they also came to understand that their child would be their life-long burden.;From the stories three common pairs of themes emerged: external locus of control vs. internal locus of control, sense of responsibility vs. love and concern, and humiliation vs. pride. These themes reflected how the fathers interpreted their life, their relationship with the child and their view of self. The findings also showed that the fathers' gradual change from the arrival of the child to age 16 could be demarcated into three stages. The initial stage was filled with feelings of helplessness. The second stage was when their child settled with schooling and they became more stable and positive. The third stage was the stage when the child stepped into adolescence and they began to face their aging process. They began to be aware that they could not take care of their child forever and became anxious and worried about the child's future. From the findings, the social beliefs, values and traditional practices, social context, and personal characteristics were found to be significant factors influencing these fathers' interpretation of their experience in having a child with intellectual disability.;The stories of these fathers have provided rich materials for more in-depth understanding of these fathers who had a child with intellectual disability. Based on the findings, recommendations are made to policy-makers, service planners and practitioners of related disciplines in providing more appropriate services to give support and assistance to fathers and those families with a child with intellectual disability, and also in building up an inclusive society. |
