Diagnoses, labels and stereotypes: Supporting children with intellectual disabilities in the hospital

Area of Science:

• Healthcare access and equity
• Disability studies
• Social sciences

Background:

• Children with intellectual disabilities (IDs) and their parents encounter stigma within healthcare settings.
• Existing research on ID stigma is limited, particularly regarding the personal, social, and institutional construction of these experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the lived experiences of children with IDs, their parents, and nurses within the healthcare system.
• To understand how stigma associated with intellectual disabilities is constructed and perpetuated.
• To identify strategies used by participants to challenge stigma.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing face-to-face semi-structured interviews.
• Participants included 17 mothers, 12 nurses, and 8 children with IDs.
• Feminist post-structuralism and discourse analysis were utilized for data interpretation.

Main Results:

• Four major themes emerged, including "Diagnoses, Labels, and Stereotypes."
• Participants shared detailed experiences of navigating healthcare environments.
• Evidence of addressing and challenging stigma associated with children with IDs was documented.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare systems perpetuate stigma against children with IDs and their families.
• Understanding the construction of stigma is crucial for developing effective interventions.
• Challenging dominant discourses surrounding intellectual disability is essential for improving healthcare experiences.