The interaction between a father and his disabled child deserves attention and needs further investigation. This study described characteristics of the fathers of mentally disabled children, aged between two and four years old, in terms of stress, empowerment, social support and quality of the environment. Thirteen fathers answered the following tools: Characterization of Family System Questionnaire, Questionnaire on Resources and Stress - Short Form, General Guide to Transcription of Interview Data, Interview in respect of the Characterization of the Role of the Father in the Education of the Mentally Disabled Child, Family Empowerment Scale, Parent Sense of Competence Scale and Early Childhood - The Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment. Results pointed to fathers of low socio-economic and educational levels, traditional role, presence of stress, adequate self-esteem and high percentages of empowerment, while the home environment failed to stimulate the child. The participants ranked themselves as good fathers and important figures in the child's life, spending many hours interacting with the child. It can be seen that there is a need for further studies using different methodologies as well as for the father's involvement in professional services for their children.
Father; Mental retardation; Father-child relations
