Weapons and Tactics: A Story of Parents with Learning Disabilities Maintaining Family Integrity

Background: Many parents with learning disabilities find themselves locked in a struggle with child protection authorities to retain custody of their children. This struggle is one against deeply entrenched prejudices as well as social arrangements that often deprive parents of needed resources. This in-depth case study explores the contours of such a struggle, and the 'tools' deployed by one couple to keep child protection at bay. The goal is first to give the parents a platform to tell their stories. The second is to help inform the knowledge base of parents, advocates and allied professionals. The third is to consider the impacts the developing disability rights environment is having upon these ongoing struggles. Method: This is a qualitative case study based on interview and document analysis and long-term involvement with a couple with learning disabilities. The material was coded according to the principles of grounded theory. Findings: Three key categories were identified. The first is 'Lessons learned', referring to the knowledge and experience that the parents collected over a lifetime. The second is 'Allies: The family', highlighting the importance of a strong family network. The third is 'Secret weapons', a phrase used by the parents to denote a collection of advocates and professional supporters they strategically surrounded themselves with when needed. Conclusion: This story illustrates the parents' tactical skill and resourcefulness to retain custody of their children. We also document the addition of new tools the parents are able to make use of such as domestic disability and human rights protections that are in turn supported by international conventions such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. However, we also contend that families like theirs live in a state of fragility, and disruptions to their support can result in further child protection interventions.