The Relationship Between Parenting Attitudes and Participation of Fathers of Children With Developmental Disabilities

BACKGROUND: In traditional societies, fathers are often viewed as authority figures with limited involvement in child development. This study examined the parenting attitudes and participation levels of fathers of children aged 3-6 with developmental disabilities in Türkiye. METHOD: The sample consisted of 134 fathers who voluntarily participated. Data were collected using a demographic form, the Parental Attitude Scale (PAS), and the Father Involvement Scale (FIS) and analyzed with SPSS. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Parenting attitudes did not significantly vary by the child's gender, diagnosis, preschool attendance, or number of children. Non-working fathers showed more authoritarian attitudes than working fathers. Fathers of daughters scored higher on interest and closeness, while fathers in single-child families scored higher on caregiving and participation. A moderate positive relationship was observed between democratic parenting attitudes and FIS subdimensions. Authoritarian and permissive attitudes showed weaker positive relationships with specific FIS subdimensions, including caregiving and participation.