ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to look into the lived experiences of parents of children with special needs. The participants of the study were 10 parents of children with special needs that are enrolled in regular school or in the transition class. The researcher prepared guide questions and conducted interviews. The phenomenological approach was used to explore the lived experiences of the parents. The findings revealed that having a child with special needs was not easy especially for a parent that had no experience or did not know about the condition of a child with special needs. The participants gave strategies they used to face and handle the situation of their children. Most of the answers showed that parents of children with special needs were more stressed and worried about their child in the present as they developed and also for their future.
For the participants, giving their children the right education and letting them attend school was fulfillment for them as they knew that their child had limited capacity. Still, they had dreams and visions for their child’s future. Most of them wanted their child to graduate from college and get a job for themselves so that they could help themselves even though they were not around. Supporting their child financially was a big motivation for them to continue taking care of their child because they knew that having a child with special needs was more costly because of their health condition. The researcher reflected that parents of children with special needs were understandable, strong, and courageous. They accepted their child wholeheartedly and face their situation. Despite the challenges, they encountered they did not give up on taking care of their child. Like other parents of children without special needs, parents of children with special needs also had a vision and dreams for their child in the future. They guided and supported their child to fulfill their dreams.