Learning disability imagined differently: an evaluation of interviews with parents about discovering that their child has down’s syndrome

Abstract

This article presents findings of a qualitative research study evaluating interviews with eight parents about their experience of discovering their child has Down's Syndrome. The article presents five themes emerging from a qualitative research study using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as an evaluation method. The themes comprise what it is that makes a life worth living, the loss of an illusion, the language we use to speak about learning disability, the myths that surround it and wider issues of belonging. The diagnosis of a child with Down's Syndrome confronts parents with neoliberal values, that are underpinned by the idea that happiness and fulfilment are derived from independence, success and economic productivity. As a learning disabled child is welcomed into the family, an opportunity is presented to question our assumptions and beliefs about learning disability, to re-evaluate what we mean by normal, to challenge neoliberal values and to imagine disability differently.