Fatherhood in disability rehabilitation in the United Arab Emirates: Exploring fathers’ involvement in raising children with disabilities

Background: The first agent of socialisation is the family, who are expected to facilitate the inclusion of children in societal activities. While mothers’ voices have been widely captured in the literature regarding their experiences raising children with disabilities, fathers’ perceptions of their knowledge of and involvement in the development of children with disabilities have been understudied, particularly in non-Western contexts. Aim: The main aim of this study was to examine fathers’ perceptions of their involvement in raising children with disabilities in the United Arab Emirates. Methods and procedures: In total, 469 fathers were recruited to understand their involvement in raising their children with disabilities. The Fathers’ Involvement in Development and Rehabilitation Scale was used to collect data, which were analysed using SPSS and AMOS. Outcomes and results: The results showed that fathers rated themselves highly for their attitudes, support, and participation in training to support their children with disabilities. Demographic variables, such as nationality and educational qualifications, provided additional insight into their involvement in raising their children with disabilities. Conclusions and implications: The study concludes with suggestions for training programmes to change fathers’ attitudes towards children with disabilities, as such programmes can enable them to better support their children's development.