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Why this information matters
The Parenting Today findings suggest that parents of children with disability are experiencing greater pressure, but they are also actively looking for support.
Understanding where parents seek help, which sources they trust, and what makes accessing them easier and harder can help inform the design of services and supports for families of children with disability.
Parents of children with disability experience higher levels of emotional strain…
Compared with other parents of 0-8 year olds, parents of children with disability are more likely to experience psychological distress, loneliness and greater demands in their parenting role.
were experiencing high psychological distress, compared with 11% of parents without a child with disability
felt lonely at least some of the time, compared with 31% of parents without a child with disability
find parenting frustrating, compared with 21% of parents without a child with disability
…but are actively looking for support
At the same time, compared with other parents of 0-8 year olds, parents of children with disability are actively seeking information, advice and support.
turn to a GP for support for parenting information
wanted to attend a parenting program but were unable to
had looked online for parenting information or advice in the previous year
trusted the reliability of information they found on social media
These findings highlight the importance of support that is accessible, trustworthy and responsive to the realities of family life.
About this analysis
This analysis focuses on 13.2% (n=632) of the 4733 parents of 0-8 year olds in the sample who reported that their child had an intellectual disability or developmental delay, sensory or speech condition, learning difficulty, and/or autism.
Read the findings
Read the Parenting supports that help children with disability thrive Insight Brief for more detail on parent wellbeing, support use, help-seeking and barriers to accessing support.
Want to know more?
If these findings are relevant to your policy, service, research or practice, we welcome enquiries about the analysis and how Parenting Today evidence could support your work.
Source: Parenting Today national survey 2025. Percentages may be based on valid responses and may not total 100% due to rounding