Gambaran Pengalaman Pengasuhan Pada Orang Tua Yang Memiliki Anak Disabilitas Intelektual

Children with intellectual disabilities experience limitations in intellectual
functioning and adaptive behavior, making them highly dependent on their parents
as primary caregivers in their daily lives. Parents often face various complex
challenges, including psychological distress, parenting stress, and social stigma.
However, previous studies have largely examined these aspects separately and
have paid limited attention to exploring parenting experiences as a
comprehensive, everyday lived experience. This study aimed to explore the
parenting experiences of parents raising children with intellectual disabilities. A
qualitative approach using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was
employed. The participants consisted of four individuals, comprising two married
couples who have children with intellectual disabilities in Palembang City,
Indonesia, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-
depth semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed five superordinate themes
that characterize the parenting experience: accepting the child's condition,
adapting parenting practices, parental involvement, parenting stress, and the
emergence of hope for the child's development. The study also found that parents'
educational level influenced how they understood their child's condition and
approached parenting, although it was not the sole determinant of parenting
quality. Overall, the findings indicate that parenting a child with an intellectual
disability is a dynamic process, characterized by acceptance of the child's
condition, adaptation of parenting practices, parental involvement, parenting
stress, and the emergence of hope.