Children's Needs – Parenting Capacity - Digital Education Resource ...

How mental illness, learning disability, substance misuse anddomestic violence affect parenting capacity 55People with learning disabilities are more likely than other people to have otherdisabilities and certain health problems (Royal College of Psychiatrists 2008). Forexample, they are six times more likely than other people to have a mental healthproblem; up to a third of adults with learning disabilities may have epilepsy and halfare likely to have problems with hearing and/or eyesight (Foundation for People withLearning Disabilities 2009). However, gaining access to services may be hamperedby the difficulties many people with learning disabilities have in expressing theirfeelings in words, and by professional or service attitudes to working with peoplewith learning disabilities within generic mental health services (Hassiotis et al.2000).Learning disability also affects opportunities to learn how to parent. For example,some adults with a learning disability will have spent their childhood and adolescencein institutions of one kind or another, although this is much less likely today thanpreviously. Others will have experienced poor parenting themselves (McGaw et al.2007) or been brought up in a very sheltered and protected environment, possiblyhaving been assigned the role of the perennial child where there was no expectationthat they might become parents themselves. Many young people with learningdisabilities will have received inadequate sex education and are unaware of thesignificance of changes to their body. There is still a widely held belief that adultswith learning disabilities should not have children.People try to stop them having a relationship, having sex, having a baby, keepingthe baby. Why are some professionals so shocked that people with learningdifficulties want to start a family?(Andrew Holman, quoted in Community Care 2006)Finally, the life experiences of parents with learning disabilities have left manyfeeling particularly powerless to deal effectively with the negative attitudes andprejudices from those with whom they come into contact. Small-scale studies (e.g.Cooke 2005) and messages from parents with learning disabilities themselves (e.g.CHANGE 2005) indicate that harassment and bullying, and sometimes violenceand financial or sexual exploitation, can be a major problem for parents with learningdisabilities and their children (Department of Health et al. 2007).Shortage of money, debt, unemployment, chronic housing problems, fraughtrelationships, the hardships of single parenthood, personal harassment,victimization and skill deficits all contribute to their vulnerability.(Booth and Booth 1996)Physical and psychological impact of drugs,including alcoholAlcohol, and to a lesser extent drug use, is well integrated into the lives of manyparents. For example, drinking alcohol is an intrinsic element of most religiousceremonies, festive celebrations, meals and everyday entertainment. Drinking or