INVOLVEMENT, EXPERIENCES, AND CHALLENGES OF PARENTS HAVING CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: IMPLICATIONS TO PRACTICE

This research determined the involvement, experiences, and challenges of parents having children with special needs. The narrative inquiry served as the study design, while the interview questionnaire served as the main instrument. Data obtained were transcribed, coded, and analyzed to determine the emerging themes and essence of the study. The results revealed that parents support their children's scholastic activities and allow them to socialize with their peers. Their experiences in raising children with special needs include imposing discipline, teaching them domestic chores, siblings' rivalry, and communication barriers. On the other hand, their challenges include handling situations when their children are experiencing tantrums, feeding, expenses in sending to school, providing instructional materials, discrimination, and bullying. Taking things holistically, it can be concluded that parents of children with special needs immensely involve themselves in all the academic undertakings of their children. They are able to manage the challenges of raising children with special needs and provide them well parental-related care. An implication for practice was designed in hope of helping the parents of children with special needs. Hence, it is recommended that the school adopt the implications for practice and recommendations for parents with special needs so that they can be given foundational knowledge in dealing with their children with special needs.  Article visualizations: