Author:

Keywords:

parental behavior, child interactive engagement, severe and multiple disabilities, profound and multiple disabilities, Social Sciences, Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Education, Special, Rehabilitation, Education & Educational Research, Parental behavior, Child interactive engagement, Severe and multiple disabilities, Profound and multiple disabilities, EARLY INTERVENTION, YOUNG-CHILDREN, MULTIPLE DISABILITIES, SKILLS, MODEL, SENSITIVITY, WARMTH, RISK, NEED, Behavior Rating Scale, Child, Preschool, Developmental Disabilities, Female, Humans, Infant, Intellectual Disability, Male, Maternal Behavior, Motor Skills Disorders, Parent-Child Relations, Parents, Play and Playthings, Severity of Illness Index, Videotape Recording, 1117 Public Health and Health Services, 1303 Specialist Studies in Education, 1701 Psychology, 3904 Specialist studies in education, 4203 Health services and systems, 5201 Applied and developmental psychology

Abstract:

Background & Aims: Parenting factors are one of the most striking gaps in the current scientific literature on the development of young children with significant cognitive and motor disabilities. We aim to explore the characteristics of, and the association between, parental behavior and children’s interactive engagement within this target group. Methods & Procedures: Twenty-five parent-child dyads (with children aged 6-59 months) were video-taped during a 15-minute unstructured play situation. Parents were also asked to complete the Parental Behavior Scale for toddlers. The video-taped observations were scored using the Child and Maternal Behavior Rating Scales. Outcomes & Results: Low levels of parental discipline and child initiation were found. Parental responsivity was positively related to child attention and initiation. Conclusions and implications: Compared to children with no or other levels of disabilities, this target group exhibits large differences in frequency levels and, to a lesser extent, the concrete operationalization of parenting domains. Further, this study confirms the importance of sensitive responsivity as the primary variable in parenting research.