The PTM Framework and parents of children with intellectual disability diagnoses: Experiences of narrative creation

Abstract

It is recognised that parents of children diagnosed with ‘intellectual disability’ (ID) are marginalised through ableist social structures. This study was the first to explore if parents of diagnosed with ID found developing a Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF) narrative useful for making sense of their experiences in non-pathologising ways. Data from repeated interviews with seven parents were synthesised using reflexive thematic analysis. Three superordinate themes were generated: Altered worldview, capturing how the PTMF supported parents to develop new insights; Reflections on the PTMF as an approach, outlining parents’ critiques of the Framework; The applicability of the PTMF to parents and ID services, highlighting how the PTMF is implemented within services needs careful consideration. Overall, participants found the PTMF to be a helpful approach which they thought could support development of less pathologising and more empowering understandings of parenting experiences.