title: Good Enough Support? Exploring the Attitudes, Knowledge and Experiences of Practitioners in Social Services and Child Welfare Working with Mothers with Intellectual Disability.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study examined the attitudes, knowledge and experiences of practitioners in social services and child welfare working with mothers with intellectual disability.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors used a national survey, which was completed by 329 participants. Descriptive statistics and frequency tables were generated, and the associations between variables and differences between various subgroups of the sample were made. The open questions were analysed using the processes involved in content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings indicated that the participants had limited knowledge of available supports and services for mothers with intellectual disability. Furthermore, many participants believed that mothers with intellectual disability should have an abortion should they become pregnant. The findings show practitioners' stereotyped attitudes towards mothers with intellectual disability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Workers in the area of social services and child welfare need access to training and professional development in the area of supporting mothers with intellectual disability.
authors.affiliation: School of Education, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.|Faculty of Education and Social Work, Honorary staff member at the University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Iva
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Strnadová
authors.affiliation: Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bernoldová
authors.affiliation: Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Zdeňka
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Adamčíková
authors.affiliation: Department of Public and Social Policy, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klusáček
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D012947:Social Work / Q000592:standards*
keywords: attitudes; child welfare workers; intellectual disability; knowledge; mothers; social workers