Parents' descriptions and experiences of young children recently diagnosed with intellectual disability

Aim The aim of the present study was to explore the variation of parents' descriptions and experiences of their child that was recently identified to have an intellectual disability (ID). Methods The study applied interpretative phenomenological analysis and analysis of narrative style looking at content and form of parental narratives. Data was collected from nine fathers and eight mothers through semi‐structured interviews within 6 months following diagnosis. Results Analysis revealed three factors indicating the parents' level of processing: (1) emotional expressions regarding the child – varying between limited (distanced or idealized) and balanced/affectionate; (2) experience of the disability – varying between preoccupation and acceptance; and (3) time orientation – varying in terms of flexibility and temporal focus. Conclusions Although parents of children with ID describe negative emotions in relation to the child and the disability, most of these parents also describe positive emotions that seemed to balance the negative experiences.