Paternal Involvement in the Programs of Hearing-Impaired Children: An Exploratory Study

Twenty sets of parents of hearing-impaired children were interviewed. Mothers and fathers responded separately. Both structured and open-ended questions were used. The study attempted to explore the nature of the father's involvement with his hearing-impaired child. Fathers saw themselves as actively involved, but the nature of their involvement differed from that of their wives. The latter argreed with both these perceptions. The role of breadwinner does not absolve the father from taking an active interest in his child's program. There was no marital conflict when husbands were informed by their wives of some aspect of the child's program. Both parents felt ignored by professionals during the diagnostic period.