Father, I Need You: Father’s Acceptance of the Batak Tribe Against Children with Intellectual Disabilities Natalina Purba (a*), Hendra Simanjuntak (b)
Universitas HKBP Nommensen Pematangsiantar
Abstract
Background: Having children is the most beautiful thing that parents will feel. But what happens when the child awaited has limitations? children born with low intellectual abilities or often referred to as mentally retarded children. Gratitude for having a baby is finally accompanied by rejection. Regard the intellectual disabilities child as a punishment for past sins. This exploratory study reports some in-depth evidence from fathers experiences that can ultimately accept the presence of an intellectual disability’s child in his family.
Method: We conducted in-depth interviews with five fathers who have intellectual disabilities. The aim is to describe their experience of being a father of a child with special needs. Data were analyzed using the Burnard approach, which has similarities with phenomenological and content analysis.
Results and discussion: In the beginning, there was a rejection, because it was ashamed to have an intellectual disability child so that she took the role of parenting without fathers support. The father takes the role of nurturing after being able to accept the reality of having an intellectual disability child. Its not easy, but intellectual disabilities children need a fathers love as they grow and develop.
Conclusion: The birth of a child should be appreciated as a gift from God so that the presence of a father helps the intellectual disabilities child in his emotional and social development.
