Attachment and Caregiving in the Context of Parental Learning Disabilities.

Parents with learning disabilities are subjected to discriminatory judgements and ableist treatment
whilst navigating the daily pressures and demands inherent to caregiving. A particularly marginalised
population, families with parental learning disabilities are at higher risk of child welfare service
involvement, and of child removal. Research and professional practice within this area is dominated
by measuring parenting capacity and evaluating practical caregiving skills. However, much less
prominence is placed on understanding the attachment and relational aspects of their caregiving.
Through a qualitative study grounded in the Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment, this study
addressed three research questions. Firstly, a single case study formulated the attachment strategies
of a sibling group revealed through the Child Attachment and Play Assessment. Their narratives were
interpreted alongside their mothers’ The Meaning of the Child caregiving interview. Secondly, reflexive
thematic analysis was applied to four The Meaning of the Child interviews administered with mothers
with learning disabilities, alongside the accompanying analytical framework. Six themes were
generated relating to parenting and caregiving with learning disabilities. A common theme revealed
prevalent narratives of endangered childhoods, coupled with corrective parenting intentions,
alongside vulnerabilities in their intimate adult relationships. A prominent theme was that mothers
were parenting under surveillance and perceived external judgement from professionals and society.
Interlinked were additional themes of idealising their child and minimising the struggles of
parenthood, amongst their reduced mentalising and reflections. A final theme derived from the data
was the mothers’ tendency to express attachment in concrete and objectified terms. Lastly, the
application of The Meaning of the Child interview protocol was examined to investigate its accessibility
and feasibility for use with parents with learning disabilities, given the lack of accessible and validated
assessments for this population. Implications for both research and clinical settings are discussed.