Early detection facilitates early intervention (EI), which optimizes outcomes in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other developmental delays. However, facilitating the transition between receiving a diagnosis of ASD and other delays and accessing care has received little attention. When families first receive a diagnosis, they often experience grief, confusion, heightened stress, and difficulty accessing appropriate and affordable services, further increasing the disadvantages and disparity experienced by underrepresented populations. This feasibility study will focus on ways providers can better facilitate access to EI services for families following an initial diagnosis. Forty-nine diverse parents with children (16-32 m) diagnosed with ASD and other developmental delays were recruited from a larger screening study. During feedback, all families were provided with a provider list (treatment as usual) of therapeutic services. Half of the families were randomly assigned to receive a DVD/ Youtube Link (treatment plus video) that describes the diagnosis as well as common therapeutic options for children with developmental delays. Parents were asked questions regarding their use of materials (video vs. provider list) following feedback and their ability to access EI services. Study retention, demand and satisfaction were assessed to evaluate the use of video recommendations and the provider list. Demand, satisfaction and completion rates were assessed to evaluate the use of video recommendations as a feasible intervention following diagnosis. Additionally, differences in post measures of parental sense of competence, parental stress and access to the EI system were used to assess the potential efficacy of the intervention. Seventy- five percent of parents (across both treatment groups) used the provider list, whereas only 29% of parents who were randomized to the video condition reported that they viewed the video recommendations. Qualitative reactions from parents in the current investigation suggest a need for interdisciplinary care and coordination between mothers. Challenges to delivering a brief intervention following diagnosis are explored.

This study investigated the relationships among the variables of parental stress, parental attitude, and preschoolers' academic, social and emotional maturity. The purposes of the investigation were to measure the relationship between parental stress and parental attitude, and to determine whether parental attitude and parental stress differed in their ability to predict preschoolers' behavioral maturity.

A literatura mostra que a presença de uma criança com deficiência intelectual pode ocasionar distúrbios no ciclo normal da família, como o estresse parental, apontando o apoio social como um dos mais importantes recursos para proteção dos efeitos de estressores e promotor da recuperação da crise. O modelo Duplo ABCX tem sido utilizado na compreensão da adaptação pós-crise. Os problemas de comportamento de crianças com deficiência intelectual ou com dificuldades de aprendizagem são apontados como significativos estressores parentais. A percepção que os membros da família têm do impacto da presença de uma criança, com deficiência ou não, também se constitui numa variável relevante no ajustamento familiar. Assim, o presente estudo teve como objetivo investigar o estresse materno e sua associação com componentes do modelo Duplo ABCX de adaptação familiar, em grupos de famílias de crianças com deficiência intelectual, com dificuldades de aprendizagem e com desenvolvimento típico. Pretendeu-se 1) comparar o estresse materno, a percepção de apoio social familiar, a percepção do impacto causado pela presença de uma criança na família e os problemas de comportamento das crianças, entre os grupos; 2) identificar associações entre estresse materno e as variáveis do ajustamento familiar nos grupos; 3) investigar a estabilidade dessas variáveis nos grupos com medidas de follow-up. Participaram três grupos: Grupo DI, famílias de crianças com deficiência intelectual (n=30); Grupo DA, famílias de crianças com dificuldades de aprendizagem (n=30), e Grupo DT, com famílias de crianças com desenvolvimento típico (n=30). As mães responderam aos instrumentos de medida do estresse, apoio social, recursos e apoio à maternidade, problemas de comportamento das crianças e percepção do impacto da presença de uma criança com necessidades especiais. Tais instrumentos foram aplicados em duas ocasiões, com intervalo de 8 a 12 meses. Os dados foram analisados estatisticamente por meio de comparação de grupos e correlação. Os resultados não indicaram diferenças entre os grupos quanto ao estresse materno, e a maioria das mães nos três grupos apresentou elevado nível de estresse, com predominância de sintomas psicológicos. Não houve diferenças significativas quanto ao escore total das escalas de apoio social, mas observaram-se algumas diferenças entre os grupos nas subescalas; o grupo DT apresentou maiores níveis de apoio para desabafos, percebendo a presença de seus filhos como menos impactante para outros membros da família. Ao avaliarem os filhos, mães de crianças com deficiência intelectual relataram maiores níveis de problemas com colegas, perceberam maiores dificuldades de comunicação ou comportamentais e perceberam as limitações físicas e de habilidades de auto-cuidados das crianças como mais impactantes. As crianças com dificuldades de aprendizagem foram indicadas pelas mães como mais hiperativas, com maior pessimismo sobre o futuro. A análise da associação entre o estresse e as variáveis do ajustamento indicou algumas correlações. As comparações entre desistentes e não-desistentes apontaram diferenças quanto ao apoio social, comportamento da criança e percepção do impacto. O modelo Duplo ABCX foi útil na análise do ajustamento familiar. Quanto à estabilidade das variáveis, observou-se alta correlação entre a 1ª e a 2ª aplicação. O estudo apresenta relevância científica no que concerne à inclusão de grupos de famílias de crianças com necessidades distintas e homogêneas. As implicações práticas e as limitações do estudo são discutidas. / The literature shows that the presence of an intellectually disabled child can cause disturbances to the family life cycle, like the parental stress, pointing to the social support as one of the most important resources for protection against the effects of stressors and promotion of recovering from crisis. The Double ABCX Model has been used in the understanding of the adaptation after crises. The problems of children\'s behavior with intellectual disability or with learning difficulties are pointed like significant parental stressor. The perception family members have of the impact of a disabled or nondisabled child is also an important variable affecting the family adjustment. So, the purpose of the present research was to investigate mother stress and its association with components of the Double ABCX Model of familiar adaptation, in groups of families of children with intellectual disability, with typical development and with learning difficulties. The goals were 1) to compare groups with respect to mother stress, perception of family social support, perception of the child\'s impact on the family, and child behavior problems; 2) to identify associations between mother stress and the variables of family adjustment in the groups; 3) to investigate the stability of these variables in the groups with follow-up measures. Mothers in three groups participated: Group DI, families of children with an intellectual disability (n=30); Group DA, families of children with learning difficulties (n=30); Group DT, families of children with typical development (n=30). The mothers answered the instruments evaluating stress, social support, resources and support to parenting, behavior problems and perception of the impact of a child with intellectual disabilities. Such instruments were applied in two opportunities, with interval from 8 to 12 months. Statistical analysis comprised group comparisons and correlations. The results did not indicate differences between the groups as for mother stress, and most of the mothers in three groups presented elevated stress level, with predominance of psychological symptoms. There were no significant differences for the total score of the scales of social support, but some differences were observed between the groups in the subscales; the group DT presented higher levels of support for confessions, perceiving less impact of the presence of his children for other members of the family. Mothers of children with intellectual disability reported higher levels of problems with peers, perceived more child communication/behavioral difficulties, and evaluated the physical limitations and self-care skills of their children as more impacting. Mothers of children with learning difficulties indicated them as more hyperactive, and presented more pessimism on the future. The analysis of the association between the stress and the variables of the adjustment indicated some correlations. The comparisons between mothers that gave up and mothers that not gave up pointed to differences for the social support, children\'s behavior and perception of the impact. The model Double ABCX was useful in the analysis of the familiar adjustment. The results of the stability of the variables indicated high correlation between the 1st one and the 2nd application. The study presents scientific relevance due to the inclusion of family groups of children with different and homogeneous difficulties. The practical implications and the limitations of the study are discussed

Although all families in the United States experience stress, families of children with special needs frequently experience prolonged periods of stress. Prolonged exposure to stressful circumstances increases their vulnerability to financial, physical, and social strain. With the continuing increase in the prevalence of children who have special needs, it is vital to examine the efficacy of different educational approaches on parental stress. It is unclear whether there are differences in stress levels for families of homeschooled versus public-schooled children with special needs. Using the family adjustment and adaptation response model, the purpose of this quantitative, ex post facto study was to investigate the degree to which parental stress reported by parents of a school-aged child with special needs could be predicted by school approach and severity of learning disability. Seventy parents of children participating in either public special education or homeschooling completed self-administered questionnaires, including the Family Impact of Childhood Disability Scale, the Educational Stress Survey, the Cognitive Processing Inventory, and demographic questions. Results from the descriptive analysis and multiple regression analyses indicated that the severity of the learning disability significantly predicted both overall parental stress as well as stress contributed by schooling. However, the type of special education setting did not significantly predict parental stress. The results from this study can promote positive social change by increasing parental awareness so that parents can make informed decisions about schooling for their children with special needs. It can also provide valuable information about additional stress related to special education programming services based on the severity of the child's learning disability.

Research on child misbehavior has examined the influence of many factors, including the child’s typical behaviors and functioning, child temperament, parenting strategies, parental stress, parental attributions, perceptions of parenting, and parental tolerance.The concept of parental tolerance has recently been advocated as an important variable influencing child misbehavior by Brestan, Eyberg, Algina, Johnson, and Boggs (2003) who developed two parent report measures for it. The present study investigated the validity of one of these measures, the Child Rearing Inventory (CRI). In the present study, parental tolerance as measured by the CRI was compared to other standardized measures of parent and child behaviors and observational data obtained from mother and child interactions. Scores on the CRI were expected to correlate with scores on the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI), Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2), Parenting Stress Index/Short Form (PSI/SF), and Perceptions of Parenting Inventory (POPI), and the frequency of directives, prompts, and criticisms. However, only one of the hypotheses was partially supported, where there was a significant positive correlation between scores on the CRI and the number of directives regarding the child leaving the area. The reliability of the CRI in the present study is questionable, due to an alpha of .64. This was compared to good alpha levels of .88 and .93 on the ECBI scales. The findings of the study demonstrate the need for further study of the CRI as a measure of parental tolerance, investigating its reliability with a younger age range, before exploring the validity further.

A literatura mostra que a presença de uma criança com deficiência intelectual pode ocasionar distúrbios no ciclo normal da família, como o estresse parental, apontando o apoio social como um dos mais importantes recursos para proteção dos efeitos de estressores e promotor da recuperação da crise. O modelo Duplo ABCX tem sido utilizado na compreensão da adaptação pós-crise. Os problemas de comportamento de crianças com deficiência intelectual ou com dificuldades de aprendizagem são apontados como significativos estressores parentais. A percepção que os membros da família têm do impacto da presença de uma criança, com deficiência ou não, também se constitui numa variável relevante no ajustamento familiar. Assim, o presente estudo teve como objetivo investigar o estresse materno e sua associação com componentes do modelo Duplo ABCX de adaptação familiar, em grupos de famílias de crianças com deficiência intelectual, com dificuldades de aprendizagem e com desenvolvimento típico. Pretendeu-se 1) comparar o estresse materno, a percepção de apoio social familiar, a percepção do impacto causado pela presença de uma criança na família e os problemas de comportamento das crianças, entre os grupos; 2) identificar associações entre estresse materno e as variáveis do ajustamento familiar nos grupos; 3) investigar a estabilidade dessas variáveis nos grupos com medidas de follow-up. Participaram três grupos: Grupo DI, famílias de crianças com deficiência intelectual (n=30); Grupo DA, famílias de crianças com dificuldades de aprendizagem (n=30), e Grupo DT, com famílias de crianças com desenvolvimento típico (n=30). As mães responderam aos instrumentos de medida do estresse, apoio social, recursos e apoio à maternidade, problemas de comportamento das crianças e percepção do impacto da presença de uma criança com necessidades especiais. Tais instrumentos foram aplicados em duas ocasiões, com intervalo de 8 a 12 meses. Os dados foram analisados estatisticamente por meio de comparação de grupos e correlação. Os resultados não indicaram diferenças entre os grupos quanto ao estresse materno, e a maioria das mães nos três grupos apresentou elevado nível de estresse, com predominância de sintomas psicológicos. Não houve diferenças significativas quanto ao escore total das escalas de apoio social, mas observaram-se algumas diferenças entre os grupos nas subescalas; o grupo DT apresentou maiores níveis de apoio para desabafos, percebendo a presença de seus filhos como menos impactante para outros membros da família. Ao avaliarem os filhos, mães de crianças com deficiência intelectual relataram maiores níveis de problemas com colegas, perceberam maiores dificuldades de comunicação ou comportamentais e perceberam as limitações físicas e de habilidades de auto-cuidados das crianças como mais impactantes. As crianças com dificuldades de aprendizagem foram indicadas pelas mães como mais hiperativas, com maior pessimismo sobre o futuro. A análise da associação entre o estresse e as variáveis do ajustamento indicou algumas correlações. As comparações entre desistentes e não-desistentes apontaram diferenças quanto ao apoio social, comportamento da criança e percepção do impacto. O modelo Duplo ABCX foi útil na análise do ajustamento familiar. Quanto à estabilidade das variáveis, observou-se alta correlação entre a 1ª e a 2ª aplicação. O estudo apresenta relevância científica no que concerne à inclusão de grupos de famílias de crianças com necessidades distintas e homogêneas. As implicações práticas e as limitações do estudo são discutidas. / The literature shows that the presence of an intellectually disabled child can cause disturbances to the family life cycle, like the parental stress, pointing to the social support as one of the most important resources for protection against the effects of stressors and promotion of recovering from crisis. The Double ABCX Model has been used in the understanding of the adaptation after crises. The problems of children\'s behavior with intellectual disability or with learning difficulties are pointed like significant parental stressor. The perception family members have of the impact of a disabled or nondisabled child is also an important variable affecting the family adjustment. So, the purpose of the present research was to investigate mother stress and its association with components of the Double ABCX Model of familiar adaptation, in groups of families of children with intellectual disability, with typical development and with learning difficulties. The goals were 1) to compare groups with respect to mother stress, perception of family social support, perception of the child\'s impact on the family, and child behavior problems; 2) to identify associations between mother stress and the variables of family adjustment in the groups; 3) to investigate the stability of these variables in the groups with follow-up measures. Mothers in three groups participated: Group DI, families of children with an intellectual disability (n=30); Group DA, families of children with learning difficulties (n=30); Group DT, families of children with typical development (n=30). The mothers answered the instruments evaluating stress, social support, resources and support to parenting, behavior problems and perception of the impact of a child with intellectual disabilities. Such instruments were applied in two opportunities, with interval from 8 to 12 months. Statistical analysis comprised group comparisons and correlations. The results did not indicate differences between the groups as for mother stress, and most of the mothers in three groups presented elevated stress level, with predominance of psychological symptoms. There were no significant differences for the total score of the scales of social support, but some differences were observed between the groups in the subscales; the group DT presented higher levels of support for confessions, perceiving less impact of the presence of his children for other members of the family. Mothers of children with intellectual disability reported higher levels of problems with peers, perceived more child communication/behavioral difficulties, and evaluated the physical limitations and self-care skills of their children as more impacting. Mothers of children with learning difficulties indicated them as more hyperactive, and presented more pessimism on the future. The analysis of the association between the stress and the variables of the adjustment indicated some correlations. The comparisons between mothers that gave up and mothers that not gave up pointed to differences for the social support, children\'s behavior and perception of the impact. The model Double ABCX was useful in the analysis of the familiar adjustment. The results of the stability of the variables indicated high correlation between the 1st one and the 2nd application. The study presents scientific relevance due to the inclusion of family groups of children with different and homogeneous difficulties. The practical implications and the limitations of the study are discussed

Previous studies indicated that parents raising children with autism (CWA) experience higher rates of stress; however, no qualitative studies have addressed low-income parents' lived experiences of raising CWA. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the challenges that low-income parents of CWA face daily within the framework of family systems theory and biopsychosocial theory. Research questions focused on the impact of income and the core symptoms of autism (social deficits, communication deficits, and repetitive behaviors) on marital and interpersonal relationships. Semistructured interviews with 13 parents were conducted, and transcripts were analyzed for themes using a 4-step process. Results indicated some negative impacts on parents' marital, social, and professional relationships. Themes included higher levels of stress and depression, decreased social interaction, less personal and professional satisfaction, and lower levels of marital satisfaction. Findings may be used to increase empathy and understanding of parents' challenges and improve access to resources and services required for CWA and their parents to enhance their quality of life.

Childhood disability increases parental stress. Research on the laterality of childhood hearing loss or presence of a cochlear implant(s) as it relates to stress in hearing parents was limited before this study. The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify relationships between the independent variables of laterality (unilateral and bilateral) of a childhood hearing loss or presence of a cochlear implant(s) and the dependent variable of stress in hearing parents. Family systems theory provided a framework for viewing each member of the family as a part of a whole, whose life events, feelings, and actions affect all of the members of the family. For this study, hearing parents of children with a hearing loss living and receiving services in the state of South Carolina rated their personal stress levels by completing an anonymous Likert-scale questionnaire. Data were collected from 151 participants via an online hosting site and analyzed using factor analysis, descriptive statistics, and ANOVA procedures. Hearing parents of children with a cochlear implant(s) (n = 37) scored the highest on all measures of stress except those measuring communication stress. Hearing parents of children with a bilateral hearing loss (n = 56) scored highest on communication stress. Hearing parents of children with a unilateral hearing loss (n = 58) scored lowest on all measures. One of the largest contributing factors to parental stress was the differing opinions educators and medical providers. The findings of this study contribute to positive social change by providing insight into how a childhood hearing loss influences stress in hearing parents. This information may help educators, service providers, and families provide better resources to the family system.

No description available.

Les Troubles du Spectre de l’Autisme (TSA) impliquent un pronostic développemental sensiblement différent dépendamment de leur sévérité et des troubles associés. Les difficultés relationnelles, les comportements inadaptés et les besoins spécifiques de l’enfant ont des répercussions sur le fonctionnement familial et affectent le vécu des parents. Cette situation génère un stress conséquent qui peut potentiellement mettre à mal la cohésion dans le couple parental, affecter les interactions parent-enfant, détériorer le sentiment de compétence parentale et entraîner une perception amoindrie de la qualité des relations familiales. L’écologie sociale du milieu familial permet de questionner le lien entre le climat familial perçu par les mères, évalué par l’IRF (LARIPE, 1989), et le stress maternel perçu, mesuré par l’ISP/FB (Bigras, LaFrenière, & Abidin, 1996), en tenant compte de la singularité de l’expression du handicap de leur enfant, soit la sévérité du trouble autistique, déterminée par l’EEAI (Rogé, 1989), et la coexistence d’un trouble du langage et/ou d’une déficience intellectuelle associée définit antérieurement à l’étude par le diagnostic médical.Le niveau langagier a un impact élevé, tant sur l’âge d’alerte pour les parents, que sur l’âge de diagnostic pour les professionnels, et se révèle fortement associé à l’évaluation de la sévérité des troubles autistiques (N=65). Dépendamment du niveau de stress maternel perçu, en recourant à une classification hiérarchique ascendante basée sur les dimensions de l’ISP/FB, la qualité des relations familiales diffère significativement. Les mères les plus stressées perçoivent le climat familial comme étant plus conflictuel. En considérant à six mois d’intervalle le vécu maternel au niveau écosystémique plutôt que dyadique, l’intervention écologique par l’intégration d’un chien d’assistance de la Fondation MIRA (Québec) dans le groupe familial (n=24) permet une diminution concomitante du stress maternel relatif à la gestion des comportements difficiles de l’enfant et de la sévérité des troubles autistiques. En l’absence de différence au premier temps de mesure avec les mères en attente de service (n=26), les mères des familles bénéficiant d’un chien présentent moins de stress, tant globalement, qu’en ce qui concerne les interactions et l’éducation de l’enfant autiste, et perçoivent également un climat relationnel plus favorable. Les résultats obtenus mettent en évidence la contribution de la médiation animale à l’amélioration de la qualité de vie de l’ensemble des membres du microsystème familial, notamment en ce qui concerne la facilitation des interactions intra et extrafamiliales. / Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) involve a significantly different developmental prognosis depending on severity and associated disorders. Relationship difficulties, inadequate behaviours and the specific needs of the child have implications on family functioning and affect parents' experiences. This situation generates significant stress that can potentially undermine parental cohesion, affect parent-child interactions, impair parenting, and lead to lessened perceptions of the quality of family relationships. Considering the social ecology of the family environment allows us to question the relationship between the family climate perceived by mothers, evaluated by the IRF (LARIPE, 1989), and the perceived maternal stress, measured by the ISP/FB (Bigras, LaFrenière and Abidin, 1996), taking into account the singularity of disability, namely autistic disorder severity, determined by the EEAI (Rogé, 1989), and the coexistence of a language disorder and/or an associated intellectual impairment defined by medical diagnosis realized prior to study.Language competence has a high impact, both on the age of parental alert and age of diagnosis by professionals, and is strongly associated with the severity of autistic disorders evaluation (N=65). Depending on the level of perceived maternal stress, using a cluster analysis based on the dimensions of ISP/FB, the quality of family relationships differs significantly. The most stressed mothers perceive the family climate as more confrontational. By considering maternal experience at the eco-systemic level rather than dyadic, an ecological intervention by integrating a MIRA Foundation (Quebec) assistance dog into the family group (n=24) produced a concomitant decrease for maternal stress related to management of child's difficult behaviours and for severity of autistic disorders. In absence of differences in the first measurement time with mothers waiting for service (n=26), mothers in families with a dog are less stressed both overall, than for interactions and for education of the autistic child. They also perceive a more favourable relationship climate. Results obtained highlight the contribution of animal mediation to improving the quality of life of all members in the microsystem, particularly on intra and extra-familial interactions facilitation.