Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Every parent plays a crucial role in raising their children. Shouldering significant

responsibilities for their children’s well-being and development. The parent’s joy is priceless

at the moment of birth when they see their child for the very first time. Unforeseen,

oftentimes their feelings of joy and eagerness abruptly fade when they discover their child

has a disability. However, this discovery does not become an obstacle to taking good care

of, loving, and supporting their child. On the contrary, it further strengthens their belief that

they need to love and care for their child with special needs even more.

Numerous parents experience the unexpected birth of a child with a disability.

According to the World Health Organization report as of early 2025, an estimated 1.3 billion

people – about 16% of the global population – currently experience significant disability. In

addition, according to a recent United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund

(UNICEF) report (2021), nearly 240 million children aged from birth to 17 live with a disability

or 1 in 10 of all children worldwide. The report also notes that in Europe and Central Asia,

East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia between 6 percent and 11 percent of children live

with a disability. In South Asia, it has the largest number of children living with a disability,

64.4 million, followed by East Asia and the Pacific, 43.7 million. As of January 8, 2025, the

National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) reported 1.9 million registered Persons with

Disabilities (PWDs) in the Philippines, representing approximately 1.6% of the population.

With such a large population of person with disabilities, it means there are more than

hundred m Parenting a child with disabilities presents significant challenges, leading to

numerous struggles for parents. These parents have faced difficulties in looking after their

children, be it socially, economically, and financially (Makhubele,2019). Also, parents of

children with special needs faced emotional burden about their child’s condition significantly
contributes to their overall difficulties. A study by ArabisQuijote et al. (2023) revealed that the

experiences of mothers of child with a disability comprise a mix of highs and lows,

expressing feelings of blessing, fortune, and happiness alongside worries, pity, and concern

about the future of their children. According to smith (2002 cited in Thwala et al., 2015)

parents of children with disabilities experience greater stress and a larger number of

caregiving challenges, such as health problems, greater feelings of restriction, and higher

levels of parental depression than parents of children without disabilities. The said current

study provide an insight about the experiences these parents encounter in society have a

significant impact on their mental, emotional, and social health. Another hardship faced by

parents with children with disabilities is the lack of sufficient money to sustain all the needs

of their child with special needs. There is current study conducted in the province of Eastern

Samar where their findings are the poverty and disability form a vicious cycle, it makes

people, especially children, highly vulnerable to disability due to lack of access to food and

clean water, health goods and services, education, and safe and clean environment

(Simbulan, N. P., 2013). Lastly, the current study stated that parents with a disabled child

are facing a huge burden that is not just financial and physical (i.e the need to attend to the

CWDs’ needs), but also emotional and mental, in light of the stigma and discrimination that

parent face alongside the children (Nuevo et al., 2021).

Therefore, developing effective coping mechanism is essential. Appropriate coping

strategies to address these challenges greatly assist in the upbringing of their children with

disabilities. The current study stated that the social and emotional support for parents of

children with disabilities supports and contribute to effective coping (García-Villamisar, D. A.,

& Molina, V. A., 2022).

The lack of research into the experience of parents raising children with disabilities in

Guiuan Eastern Samar results in the absence of societal empathy towards their struggle,

leading to their needs being overlooked in various aspects of life. Furthermore, this oversight

renders the Government blind to their plight, hindering the development of targeted
programs that could alleviate the physical, emotional, social and financial burdens they

endure. Additionally, educators miss opportunities to gain valuable insights from these

parents ' unique experiences of parenting their children with disabilities, which could

enhance their teaching knowledge and skills, particularly in the field of Special Education.

Therefore, the researchers of this study aim to fill that gap that can contribute to the creation

of new knowledge.

Beyond studying the lived experiences, challenges, and coping mechanisms, it is

also important to discover and understand the unique needs of parents raising children with

disabilities. Furthermore, there is a need to determine what kind of support systems these

parents require. This study is also expected to provide new evidence of the need for

developing solid support systems for parents of children with disabilities in Guiuan Eastern

Samar.

This qualitative phenomenological study aims to determine and understand the lived

experiences, challenges, and coping mechanisms of parents raising a child with disabilities.

This study has the potential to contribute valuable insights across various fields within the

social sciences, including psychology, sociology, economics, and education, particularly

concerning parenting children with disabilities. The researchers believe that the conduct of

this study is relevant and important for society, government, and education. This paper

highlights the lived experiences, challenges, and problems they encountered in raising their

children with disability (PWD), as well as their coping mechanisms and recommended

programs that will serve as support systems and assistance for these parents in raising their

children with special needs. The insights gained from their experience could be used to help

other parents overcome their own challenges and focus on the development of their own,

regarding on parenting children with disabilities.

This study aims to investigate the challenges and coping mechanisms of parents

raising children with disabilities. Specifically, this sought answers to the following questions:

1. How can the profile of mothers raising children with disabilities be characterized based on:

1.1. age;

1.2. number of children;

1.3. marital status;

1.4. educational attainment; and

1.5. employment status

2. What are the challenges faced by mothers in raising children with disabilities?

3. What coping mechanisms do mothers use to handle these challenges?

4. How do external factors, such as community support, government assistance or

healthcare access, influence their coping strategies?

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will be beneficial to the parents, healthcare providers,

special education teachers and educators, social workers, government agencies, community

members and general public, researchers and future researchers.

To the Parents. This will help them gain valuable insights into the coping mechanisms they

utilize and learn that their resilience and strategies are being acknowledged, contributing to a

more nuanced and positive understanding of caregiving.

emotional, financial, and psychological challenges these parents face. This can help improve

the delivery of empathetic care, advice, and referrals to appropriate resources.

To the Special Education Teachers and Educators. Teachers working with children with

disabilities will benefit from a better understanding of the family dynamic and the pressure

parents face. This could improve communication and collaboration between school and

families, ultimately enhancing the educational experience for children with disabilities.

To the Social Workers. This will help them assist families with access resources and

support and will have more information about coping strategies parents use. These can help

them guide families towards the most relevant resources and provide stronger, more tailored

advocacy for these families' needs.

To the Government Agencies. Through the result of this study, this will help them advocate

for better support systems. This could inform policy changes regarding finding for caregiver

support, mental health services, educational accommodations and disability services.

To the Community Members and General Public. This can help them gain a better

understanding of the challenges and strengths of families raising children with disabilities.

The study can help foster more empathy, understanding, and support for these families,

ultimately contributing to greater social inclusion.

To the Researchers. The result of this study will provide useful information contributing to

the growing body of literature on coping mechanisms, caregiving, and resilience in the

context of disability. The research can serve as a foundation for future studies exploring

similar themes.

To the Future Researchers. This could be used as a reference for the challenges and

coping mechanisms of parents raising children with disabilities, perhaps finding similarities

within their own research.

This study focuses on uncovering the coping mechanisms of parents raising children

with disabilities in Guiuan, Eastern Samar. It aims to explore their emotional, social, and

practical strategies in managing the challenges of caregiving. This research will examine

factors such as resilience, social support and the overall impact of these mechanisms on

their well-being. This research will use qualitative methods such as interviews, to get in-

depth insights. However, the results will provide valuable perspectives on the challenges and

strengths of parents in the Guiuan community.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are theoretically and operationally defined in order to facilitate

easier understanding of the study:

Persons with Disabilities. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

and its Optional Protocol (CRPD, 2006) defines persons with disabilities "include those who

have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with

various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis

with others". In this study, this refers to a person having long-time impairments that hinders

and affect their daily life.

Parenting. According to United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund

(UNICEF), parenting is the job of providing nurturing care throughout childhood, preparing

children to live in society, form relationships, learn, work and thrive. In this study, it refers as

to how a parent or guardian provide support, care, and love to his or her children to ensure

grow and development of the overall well-being.

Parent. According to Cambridge dictionary, mother or father of a person or

an animal, or someone who takes care of a person in the same way that a parent does. In

this study, parent refers to a person who is taking care of his or her own child.
Coping Mechanism. Coping is defined as the thoughts and behaviors mobilized to manage

internal and external stressful situations (Algorani,2023). In this research, this refers as to

how an individual manage, deal and faced with difficult situation or scenario in raising

children with disabilities.

Phenomenological Study. An approach to research that seeks to describe the

essence of a phenomenon by exploring it from the perspective of those who have

experienced it. The goal of phenomenology is to describe the meaning of this experience—

both in terms of what was experienced and how it was experienced (BE Neubauer,2019). In

this study, it allows the researcher to have a better understanding into the challenges and

the coping mechanism of a parent in raising children with disability.

Parents Raising Children with Disabilities

A Research

Presented to

the Faculty of the College of Education

Eastern Samar State University

Guiuan, Eastern Samar

ANTHONY S. LIM-IT

MARK G. BALBUENA

EDRALYN R. PADUAL

RICA JANE W. CATAYONG

PERLYN ROSE P. ODEVILAS

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