Parenting a child with an intellectual disability in Bedouin families

In this chapter we examine the meaning of parenting of a child with intellectual disabily in the Bedouin-Arab society of the Negev and in particularly to understand parental perceptions of intellectual disabilities, family functioning, and social support networks. Between 2007-2009, nine couples (18 respondents consisting of nine mothers and nine fathers) were randomly selected from a survey pool of 300 Bedouin-Arab parents in various Negev communities with one or more children with intellectual disability. Semistructured interviews of two hours' duration were conducted in Arabic by two trained social workers who were gender matched with informants. The parents presented four themes (each with corresponding sub-themes): perception of their child's intellectual disability, the subjective experience of parenting a child with intellectual disability, the perceived influence on the family, and perceived coping strategies and bases of support. The discussion and conclusion consider implications for professional intervention and future research.