Living Without Labels: The Experiences of Parents of Children with Undiagnosed Learning Disabilities

Abstract

Background and Aim: Learning disabilities are neurodevelopmental disorders that affect children's ability to acquire and apply academic skills. However, millions of Filipino children with suspected learning disabilities remain undiagnosed due to poverty and systemic barriers, leaving parents in a state of uncertainty without access to support services. While Philippine studies have documented the financial and systemic barriers faced by parents of children with disabilities, none has specifically examined parents who suspect a learning disability but cannot afford formal diagnosis, nor how these parents move through a sequential process of challenges, coping, strategizing, and outcomes. Guided by this sequential process framework, this case study addresses this gap by exploring the lived experiences of low-income Filipino parents raising children with suspected but undiagnosed learning disabilities.

Materials and Methods: A qualitative case study design was employed, involving semi-structured in-depth interviews with ten low-income parents whose children attend public schools in Ozamiz City, Philippines. Participants were selected through purposive criterion sampling based on suspicion of learning disability, financial inability to pursue formal diagnosis, and residence in Ozamiz City. Interviews were conducted in Cebuano, transcribed verbatim, translated into English, and analyzed thematically following Merriam and Tisdell's (2016) case study procedures. Data collection took place from November 2025 to March 2026.

Results: Four sequential themes emerged from the analysis, culminating in a central outcome: despite parents' resourcefulness, children remain "without labels", unable to access formal diagnosis or the support it would unlock. Specifically: (1) challenges including academic struggles of the child, financial barriers, and systemic barriers such as long waiting lists and inconclusive evaluations; (2) coping mechanisms including emotional and religious coping, information seeking through social media, and negative coping such as physical punishment and alcohol use; (3) adaptive strategies including seeking free services, home-based interventions using inexpensive materials, and school-based accommodations such as SPED enrollment; and (4) outcomes including marital separation, sibling sacrifice of education, positive resilience in some families, and continued uncertainty with all children remaining undiagnosed.

Conclusion: The study concludes that poverty serves as the primary structural barrier preventing formal diagnosis of learning disabilities among low-income Filipino children. Despite remarkable resourcefulness and resilience, parents cannot overcome financial and systemic barriers alone. The recurring sentiment that they cannot afford a diagnosis captures the tragic reality that poverty, not lack of love or effort, is the central obstacle. Policy interventions including mobile diagnostic services, subsidies for assessments, and school-based evaluations without medical diagnosis are urgently needed.