Raising Children with Disability – Supporting Fathers

Fathers of children with special needs often face immense emotional and psychological challenges, yet their caregiving role is frequently overlooked—especially in cultures influenced by traditional patriarchal norms.

In Hong Kong, where open discussions about fatherhood and emotional struggles remain limited, many fathers experience deep-seated feelings of shame and guilt, leading to avoidance behaviours or overcompensation in their parenting approach.

Dr Kai Chung Lo, from the Department of Applied Social Sciences at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, spearheaded a groundbreaking study—the first of its kind in Hong Kong—exploring the moral emotions of fathers caring for children with special needs. This research sheds light on their hidden struggles, and provides crucial insights into how these emotions impact both their wellbeing and their children’s development.

Join us for this eye-opening webinar, when Dr Lo will present key findings from his extensive research, offering a rare glimpse into the psychological and social challenges faced by father caregivers. Discover how deeply rooted emotions like shame and guilt manifest in their parenting behaviours and explore the broader societal factors contributing to these struggles.

Learning outcomes

In this webinar, participants will:

• recognise emotional challenges in fatherhood
• understand cultural and societal influences
• analyse research findings on father caregivers
• identify the impact on child development
• explore strategies for support and intervention.

Ideal for

Workers in community organisations, social services, schools and businesses who want to better support the needs of fathers raising children with disability.

About the presenter

Dr LO has over 20 years of experience in frontline practice, teaching, and field education within non-government organisations (NGOs) and academic institutions. With more than 12 years in service management, he has specialised in supporting ethnically diverse communities and individuals with disabilities in Hong Kong.

Holding a PhD from the University of Hong Kong, Dr. LO’s research focuses on father involvement in raising children with special needs. He is a professional affiliate of the American Psychological Association’s Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race, and a WHO-Caregiver Skills Training facilitator in Hong Kong. He also serves on advisory boards for research projects addressing ethnic minority women’s employment, inclusive education, social worker development, and fatherhood studies.

Registration information

Registrations close 48 hours before the webinar start time.

If paying by invoice, proof of payment needs to be provided at least 24 hours ahead of the event.

In addition to the live event link, all registrants will receive a link to the webinar recording post-event.

When you click to book, you will be taken to our payment gateway. Once you complete your registration you will receive an email detailing how to access your learning event in our Moodle Learning Management System.

Webinar requirements

Please note that you’ll need access to the following to participate in this webinar:

• desktop or laptop computer
• reliable internet connection
• headphones recommended
• microphone/speakers
• webcam (built in or external to your computer)

Contact us

Centre for Learning and Innovation
Phone: (03) 8573 2222
Email: ravtraining@rav.org.au