Parenting children with developmental disability requires specialized caring skills
and knowledge. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of Chinese
parents in caring for these children. The focus group research approach was adopted.
Twenty-three parents of children hospitalized with developmental disability from a
Maternal and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China participated in four focus group
interviews. Validity of interpretation was ascertained. Inter-coder reliability was
established with inter-coder agreement at 0.77. Data were fully transcribed, coded
and analysed by content analysis. Eventually, five categories of needs were
identified: parental, informational, attitude towards the child, coping and support.
Parents needed to be equipped with practical parenting skills and information on
developmental disability, and they needed to have realistic expectations for the
child. They also needed professional support to cope with caring tasks and
activities. Education is recommended as a fundamental strategy to enhance
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