Parental expectations for children with intellectual disability or autism in Ghana and Zambia: A concept mapping study

•Parental expectations for children with intellectual disability or autism represent a broad and multidimensional construct.•Expectations vary across cultures and are adapted to suit current societal norms.•Ghanaian and Zambian parents share expectations that are unique and unreported in previous studies.•Expectations shared by Ghanaian and Zambian parents are largely optimistic; rated as highly important and likely to be met.