A high proportion of families with a parent with an intellectual disability will come to the attention of child protection and support agencies due to allegations that a child has been or is at risk of abuse or neglect. However, prejudice and lack of understanding have contributed to these heightened rates. This paper examines parental intellectual disability and the common risk factors associated with child abuse and neglect in order to understand if and why parents with intellectual disability are at heightened risk of abusing or neglecting their children.