This book strives to break new ground by giving an insight into what it means to be a parent with learning difficulties. Very little is known about the lives and struggles of these parents. By looking at the common threads in their lives, the authors aim to produce personal accounts that are true to the experience of parents themselves. Using the life-story approach to give pride of place to the views of mothers and fathers, this study serves as a counterweight to research in which the parents as people make no appearance.

The authors try to harness their work to practical ends by drawing out its lessons for professionals. As well as offering a parents' view of parenting, the book also presents a challenge to our thinking about the rights and responsibilities of people with learning difficulties.