Inclusion of Children with Down Syndrome in Social Life: Parents’ Perceptions

Understanding the position, role and influence of the family, and especially parental perceptions, on the development of a child with Down syndrome is important both for planning support for the child itself and for developing opportunities for parent empowerment, so that they become and remain as stable and active as possible support for their child. The aim of the research was to analyse the perceptions of parents of children with Down syndrome related, among other things, to the inclusion of their children in social life, considering their cognitive, social and emotional specificities. The measuring instrument designed for the purposes of this research can provide the data necessary to create an individual profile of the family of a child with Down syndrome. The analysis of the main components has singled out two factors: the factor of parental perception of the possibilities of a child with Down syndrome and the factor of parental perception of the needs of a child with Down syndrome. The analysis showed that parents of children with Down syndrome from the sample have positive perceptions about the possibilities of their child and clearly defined perceptions about the needs of their child. A positive correlation between factors was found. In this regard, a significant area is covered by the factor of parental perception of the needs of a child with Down syndrome, which indicates the obstacles faced by parents of children with Down syndrome and in which they need to be provided with targeted and systematic support, both by institutions and non-governmental organizations.