Prevalence of parents with intellectual disability in Australia

ABSTRACT

Background Parenting by people with intellectual disability is attracting increasing attention, and policymakers and service providers require empirical evidence to develop sound policy and service responses. The purpose of the study was to identify prevalence and demographic data on parents with ID in Australia compared with parents with other disabilities and the population of parents without disability.

Method The Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, 2009, was identified as the most suitable survey, and design-weighted analysis was performed.

Results An estimated 0.41% of Australian parents had intellectual disability, equating to 17,000 parents with ID. Parents with ID were more likely to have only 1 child and to reside outside a capital city compared with parents without disability.

Conclusions These findings provide benchmark data for monitoring, over time, the prevalence of parents with ID and point to policy and service responses for parents with only 1 child and for those in outer urban, regional, and rural areas of Australia.

KEYWORDS:

• parents with intellectual disability
• disability prevalence
• national disability surveys

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

ORCiD

Nicola Wing Man http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2224-9301

Additional information

Funding

This study was conducted as part of Phase 4: 2011–2014 of Healthy Start: A national strategy for children of parents with learning difficulties, funded by the Australian Government agency, the Department of Social Services. This strategy can be accessed at http://www.healthystart.net.au