Our path together: Development of the inclusive parenting goals questionnaire

Background: Instruments on parenting goals are often outdated and don’t consider goals related to capabilities and needs of children with (severe) disabilities. This study aimed to develop an inclusive questionnaire on parenting goals applicable to parents of all children (0-21 years). Method: The iterative development process relied on academic and experiential expertise of parents and professionals; and included consultation of relevant literature, interviews with 6 parents of a child with severe to profound intellectual disabilities, a feedback round with diverse stakeholders, and a pilot study. Results: The Inclusive Parenting Goals Questionnaire (IPGQ) is a 99-item summated rating scale demonstrating high face and content validity. A renewed and inclusive definition of parenting goals was formulated, alongside extensive reflection on theoretically robust and practically relevant categorization. Discussion: The IPGQ is suitable for gaining insight into parents goal patterns and differentiating between (various groups of) parents. It also provides a basis for further discussion and elaboration.