Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...

PAGE 172
• Clearly outlining professionals’ and advocates’ roles, and their
boundaries.
<strong>Literature</strong> <strong>Review</strong> on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible
Support to People with an Intellectual Disability who are
• Remaining Experiencing vigilant Crisis about Pregnancy the impact of the level of involvement
of extended family members so that family relationships do not
deteriorate.
• Not getting involved in family feuds.
5.6 Role of social networks in supporting parents with
intellectual disability
In the Australian context, Llewellyn and McConnell (2002) investigated
mothers’ views about the types of support they get and from where they
get that support. The study was based on interviews with 70 mothers
with intellectual disability using a support interview guide designed
to accommodate the mothers’ cognitive difficulties. [88] Key findings
highlighted by the authors were:
• Family members were central in the support networks of
mothers with intellectual disability with pre-school age children.
Mothers with cognitive difficulties felt closest to and most
comfortable with family members, who provided more types of
support (practical/tangible as well as emotional support) than
formal ties or friends and neighbours.
• Service providers formed the second largest group of supportive
ties and they were the mothers’ primary source of information
and advice; however, relationships with service providers were
relatively short-term and characterised by relatively infrequent
contact. Mothers with intellectual disability in general felt less
comfortable in seeking support from them.
• Few mothers with intellectual disability could identify supportive
ties with friends and neighbours, suggesting that they were
isolated from their local communities and were potentially
88 The sample was comprised of mothers of pre-school age children (i.e. ‹ 6 years)
who participated in three studies over a four-year period. Participants in the study
were those described by social service agencies as having learning disabilities.