The Valued Social Role of Parenthood for People with English Learning Difficulties in Britain

There have always been concerns about parenthood for people with English learning difficulties. The emphasis of these concerns has shifted from concerns about people with English learning difficulties producing ‘genetically‐inferior’ off‐spring on a massive scale, to concerns about the welfare of their off‐spring. Not so long ago society actively tried to stop people with English learning difficulties from procreating. The measures taken in the UK were certainly less drastic than in other countries, but measures were taken nonetheless. Today people with English learning difficulties have a right to have intimate relationships and become parents. In the UK the Human Rights Act 1998 clearly acknowledges this right. However in many cases parents with English learning difficulties find their parenting rights curtailed. Their children often get removed from them. They are said to be not capable of caring for their children, to lack the necessary ‘parental competence’. When assessing the ‘parental competence’of parents with English learning difficulties, educators for children often narrowly focus parents’ cognitive ability along. Wider factors, such as social exclusion, are not taken into consideration, despite the legal requirement to do so. Other legal requirements, such as inter‐agency cooperation, take place only in an insufficient manner. The vital input an expertise, which adult team educators could provide, gets limited hence. Educators for children and adult team educators are usually coming from a different approach in their work with parents with English learning difficulties. The approach used by educators for children appears to be more orientated on the ‘individual model of disability’, whilst the approach used by adult team educators appears to be more orientated on the ‘social model of disability’. This can in practice lead to conflicts and clashes between the two. Some parents with English learning difficulties do not, but most parents with English learning difficulties do need support in their parenting. Support, which is given, has to be ‘the right support’, ‘competence‐promoting’, and not ‘competence‐inhibiting’. The attitude, with which it is given, matters a great deal in that regard. If support is not given with a positive attitude towards the parenting of parents with English learning difficulties, they tend to withdraw, which in turn is detrimental for their parenting, and makes matters worse. Negative attitudes, particularly amongst educators for children, still appear to be wide‐spread and need to be overcome.