Teaching young adults with intellectual disabilities about early parent-child attachment behaviors using an educational DVD

Abstract

Background: Previous research has largely focused on evaluating the impact of teaching practical parenting skills to parents with intellectual disabilities. Teaching them about the importance and nature of early attachment behaviors has not yet been explored. This study investigates whether knowledge of early attachment behavior of young adults with an intellectual disability who are not yet parents, can be increased using an educational DVD.

Method: A sample of students with intellectual disabilities (N = 25) were asked to complete the ‘parent-child questionnaire’ at three stages: pre-intervention, post-intervention, and two to three week follow-up. The questions that make up this questionnaire relate to early attachment behaviors.

Results: Statistical analyses show that there was a statistically significant increase in knowledge of attachment behavior following the intervention (t(24) = −3.48, p < 0.05) and this increase was maintained at follow-up (t(24) = −3.27, p < 0.05). Increase in knowledge was not significantly associated with any of the demographic factors (gender, age, intelligence quotient, main carer, number of siblings, family history of intellectual disabilities, and previous teaching on childcare).

Conclusion: It is concluded that the use of an educational DVD is an effective way of teaching young adults with an intellectual disability about early attachment behaviors between parents and young babies.

Keywords:

• Intellectual disabilities
• early attachment
• young babies
• parenting

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.