The views and experiences of fathers regarding their young child's intellectual and developmental disability diagnosis: Findings from a qualitative study.

This study highlights that when the child's disability is confirmed, fathers experience a diverse range of mixed emotions. Health and social care practitioners including nurses need to be aware of the impact of the diagnosis upon fathers. There is scope to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence of health and social care practitioners regarding the experiences of fathers and how they can further support fathers and their families during the critical time of a disability disclosure.