Needs Assessment of Parents Raising Children with Disabilities in Preschool Educational Institution

Tetiana Chechko, Tetiana Liakh, Tetiana Spirina, Maryna Lekholetova, Svitlana Sapiha, Karina Salata

Tetiana Chechko received her doctorate in social pedagogy. Her research concerns the socio-pedagogical support of preschool children with special psychophysical needs. Tetiana is a methodologist of the Municipal Preschool Educational Institution Center for Child Development “I + Family” in Kyiv (Ukraine).

Tetiana Liakh received her doctorate in social pedagogy. Tetiana is currently the head of the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work Institute of Human Sciences, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University (Ukraine). Her research concerns the monitoring and evaluation of social programmes and projects; assessing the quality of social services.

Tetiana Spirina received her doctorate in pedagogical sciences. She is currently an associate professor at the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work Institute of Human Sciences, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University (Ukraine). Her research interest is related to the ethics of socio-pedagogical activities and the professional culture of social workers.

Maryna Lekholetova received her doctorate in social pedagogy. Currently, she works as a senior lecturer at the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work Institute of Human Sciences, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University (Ukraine). Her research concerns the development of professional competencies of social workers; the formation of health-preserving competencies of future social educators; researching the problems of parents raising children with disabilities.

Svitlana Sapiha received her doctorate in social pedagogy. She works as a senior lecturer at the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work Institute of Human Sciences, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University (Ukraine). Her research interests are related to the study of the development of the personal potential of adolescents in Scout public associations; the quality of social services for people with disabilities and adolescents living with HIV.

Karina Salata, a graduate student at the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work Institute of Human Sciences, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University (Ukraine). She conducts research on socio-pedagogical support to parents of children with special educational needs.

Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The authors focused on the study to assess the needs of parents of children with disabilities in preschool education institutions in Ukraine. THEORETICAL BASE: The geography of the study covered three regions of Ukraine and seven preschools of different types. The study sample was limited to parents whose children attend preschool and consisted of 107. METHODS: Series of in-depth interviews were conducted with parents of children with disabilities attending preschool. The results were transcribed word for word. To determine the descriptive topics, the pre-coding was performed, and then refined and interpreted using the MaxQDA10 program. OUTCOMES: The results suggest among the basic needs of parents, which they lack in care and upbringing, included: free time (42%); financial capabilities (financial support) (14%); special skills of communication with children and parenting experience (11%); endurance and patience (8%); coherence, understanding between family members (4%); psychological support (3%). SOCIAL WORK IMPLICATIONS: Many indications imply the absence of awareness among parents in the care and upbringing of children with disabilities; misunderstandings with the social environment; lack of knowledge of parents about social institutions where families can receive help and support; lack of meaningful leisure time with children with disabilities, social isolation of the family.

Keywords
parents, children with disabilities, preschool educational institutions, needs assessment, sociopedagogical support, Ukraine

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