| Sumario: | This study aimed to explore the experiences of mothers of children with Down syndrome with emergency drills in the school setting. Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR), an inductive method, was utilized to explore interviewees' descriptions of experiences. The method was chosen as it works well with rich and robust interview data often obtained through open-ended questions with a small number of participants about their innermost feelings. It is the first study following this methodology with parents of children with Down syndrome. Through following the CQR protocol, three major domains (Parent Perceptions, Child Experiences, School) were identified, as well as eight subthemes of parental awareness, parental concerns, parental knowledge, child overwhelmed, child unaware, child sensory, school communication, and school preparation. The themes identified within this study are directly related with critical constructs of social learning, as children must have preparation, awareness, and communication to promote optimal emergency preparation within social contexts. This innovative study identified that there is a need for greater communication between schools and parents to protect children with Down syndrome in case of an emergency.
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