We hypothesised that fathers who were more mindful in their parenting role (specifically, fathers who reported more present-centred attention in their relationship with their child) would use less avoidance in relation to their child and that this would be reflected in increased father involvement in childcare.

Data gathered from 105 fathers indicated that mindfulness in the parenting role may be an important predictor of parenting in families of children with intellectual disabilities. Thus, it is likely that interventions designed to increase mindfulness should improve parent - child relationships and ultimately child outcomes.