Family relationships in intellectual disability: Parents' perceptions as elicited by family photographs

Families, as a network of emotional connections, assume a particularly important role when there is a member with intellectual disabilities (ID). The main aim of the study is to explore the perceptions of parents of persons with ID about their family relationships.

Ten parents of persons with ID, four of which were fathers, were interviewed using photo-elicited interviews and 60 photographs were analysed.

Persons depicted in the photographs were mainly members of the nuclear family, and the moments captured were mostly family rituals. Joy was the most present feeling in the photographs and "saudade" the most evoked feeling when viewing them. Family relationships assume an essential role for parents, and acceptance and inclusion emerged as central concepts.

The core value of family relationships for parents, as a resource to deal with the challenges brought on by the condition, should be taken into account in interventions.