Families raising a child with a disability often experience multidimensional challenges including emotional strain, financial hardship, and social exclusion.

Social support is an essential component of resilience and wellbeing in such families, influencing adaptation, coping, and inclusion.

Despite its significance, social support for families raising children with disabilities remains underexplored in local social work contexts.

The problem centers on the limited conceptual understanding and fragmented structure of social support systems for families raising a child with a disability.

There is a gap in identifying how social support is accessed, perceived, and distributed among families and institutions that provide such services.

1. What forms of social support exist for families raising a child with a disability?

2. How do families experience and perceive these forms of support?

3. What are the roles of institutions in providing social support and promoting inclusion?

4. How can a conceptual framework be developed to improve support delivery in social work practice?

This study is guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory which highlights the interaction between individual, family, community, and institutional systems.

It also integrates the concept of social inclusion, focusing on equal access to resources, participation, and empowerment of marginalized families.

The research adopts a mixed-method approach combining qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.

It ensures both depth and breadth in understanding the multidimensional nature of social support for families.

The mixed-method design strengthens validity through triangulation and integration of findings.

Purposive sampling will be employed to select families raising a child with a disability and social work practitioners working in institutions that support them.

The selection is based on relevance and ability to provide insight into the experience and mechanisms of social support.

Qualitative data: Semi-structured interviews with parents and social workers to explore experiences and perceptions of social support.

Quantitative data: Structured questionnaires to assess types, frequency, and effectiveness of social support services.

Additional methods: Observation and document analysis of institutional practices.

Qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key patterns and meanings related to social support experiences.

Quantitative data will be analyzed through descriptive statistics to summarize trends in support availability and accessibility.

Findings from both strands will be integrated to develop a holistic conceptual framework.

ETHICAL APPROVAL WILL BE OBTAINED FROM THE UNIVERSITY’S ETHICS REVIEW BOARD.

PARTICIPANTS WILL BE INFORMED ABOUT THE STUDY’S PURPOSE, PROCEDURES, AND VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND ANONYMITY WILL BE MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING.

The study expects to produce a clear conceptual understanding of social support for families raising children with disabilities.

It will contribute practical insights for social work practitioners and institutions in promoting inclusion and effective service delivery.

The conceptual framework developed will guide future interventions and research aimed at strengthening family support systems.