A Brief Report on the Sociodemographic Profile and Attitude of the Caregivers of Children with Intellectual Disability in Rehabilitation Settings

Abstract

Background: The critical factor for supporting children with intellectual disabilities is the awareness and constructive participation of support systems such as their families and carers. The present study attempts to identify the attitude of the caregivers toward the intellectually disabled children. The objective of the study was to evaluate the current level of caregivers' attitudes toward children with intellectual disabilities in selected institutions, Bangalore. Method: This study was based on descriptive research design. Three special schools located in Bangalore were selected. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 134 caregivers. It includes a demographic profile and attitude questionnaire for caregivers toward children with intellectual disability. Results: About 15.7% of caregivers had the most favorable attitude; half (51%) of them had a favorable attitude, and 33% had an unfavorable attitude toward children with intellectual disability. Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed that most caregivers had a favorable attitude, whereas one-third of the caregivers in the selected setting had an unfavorable attitude. This study shows that the majority of the children with intellectual disability were suffering from epilepsy and behavioral disorder. Therefore, it is important to take needed steps such as education and awareness to foster acceptance and care among caregivers.

Keywords

• attitude
• caregivers
• children with intellectual disability
• rehabilitation