A Qualitative Study of Individuals with Special Needs and Their Families

Abstract

The research on individuals with special needs and their families lacks the eclectic voices of the family. This study presents a qualitative questionnaire to individuals with special needs and their family members to understand what each has experienced from their unique point of view within their family: parent, sibling, and self. In the responses collected from four participants through a snowball sampling method via Facebook, four themes were found: communication, closeness, advice, and advocacy. The four themes were present in each family member’s experiences and had impact on their perception of their family. Further, the findings have larger implications on society.