Rising Above Disabilities: A Qualitative Analysis of Psychology Interns of San Pedro College on Handling Students with Intellectual Disability

Abstract

The study aimed to understand the experiences of Psychology Interns caring for children with intellectual disability. The qualitative phenomenological research design was utilized, and narrative inquiry were the method used for data gathering. The participants were four interns and three graduates who underwent internship from different institutions in Davao City. A total of seven semi-structured interview questions were used in data gathering which were validated by three experts. The results yielded the following emergent themes: Difficult, Physical harm, Fulfilling, Varied Experiences, Requires Empathy and Requires One-On-One Interaction. It is concluded that experiences of Psychology interns as a new field in Psychology presents numerous challenges and opportunities to interns, educators, administrators, policy makers and researchers. The experiences of Psychology interns will help policymakers develop standards and guide stakeholders towards the best practices for this area of Psychology interns.