Uitdagings wat vaders beleef in hulle verhouding met hul leergestremde kind
Goal: The present study is aimed at the exploration and description of fathers’ perceptions and experience of challenges in their relationship with their learningimpaired child. Background: Learning impairment is a very common problem in children, and is known to have a negative effect on the child itself and on the parents of these children. Parents with a learning-impaired child experience additional stress. This study focuses only on the father, as most of the current research only focuses on the mother-child relationship, because the mother is seen as the primary caretaker of the child. Methods: A qualitative research design was used. The population was fathers with a learning-impaired child in the age group of 13-18 years and with a learning impairment that is caused by intrinsic factors. The data was obtained by semi-structured interviews with five fathers, as well as with a group discussion to determine the fathers’ experience of their relationship with their learning-impaired child. A thematic analysis was used to synthesise the data. The elements of qualitative exploratory and explanatory theory served as a broad framework for the study. Findings: The fathers described their relationship with their learning-impaired child as experiencing a lot of frustration and not having a good relationship with their child. Feelings of disappointment were primarily related to the unmet expectations that they had for their children. It seemed that the fathers have not yet accepted the learning disability of their children. A sense of no support from the schools and from the broader community has also led to a negative experience with the learning impairment of the child.