Family control: The views of families who have a child with an intellectual disability

This paper, reporting on part of a wider study, explores the views held by 68 families, who have a child with a disability, of their perceptions of lifestyle control or empowerment. In particular, the paper seeks to examine whether these families perceive their interactions with service providers to be consistent with family-empowerment principles. Individual open-ended interviews were conducted with these family members, yielding information on their perceptions of their control over their family lives, and on their views as to how their interactions with service providers might be conducted in such a way as to recognize and enhance such control. The implications for professionals working with families in a manner that recognizes family members as truly equal partners and that promotes and enhances genuine family empowerment are discussed.