Parent stress and adaptive functioning of individuals with developmental disabilities

Research consistently indicates that parents of individuals with a developmental disability report considerably more stress associated with child characteristics than parents with typically developing children. It is commonly believed that the adaptive functioning of a child with a developmental disability plays a significant role in the stress a parent experiences. The present study examines adaptive functioning of individuals with a developmental disability, in an attempt to establish child characteristics that are predictors of parental stress. Participants consisted of a randomly selected group of 97 individuals (64 males, 33 females) with developmental disabilities, and their parents (90 mothers and 56 fathers) from across Ontario, Canada. Individuals with developmental disabilities ranged in age from 9.3 to 42.5 years, with an average age of 24.9 years (SD=8.6). The Full Scale IQ scores for participants with a developmental disability, ranged from 40 to 92, with a mean score of 53.9 (SD=12.7). Adaptive and Maladaptive Behaviour were assessed using the Adaptive Behavior Scales - Residential and Community Edition, Second Edition (Nihira, Leland & Lambert, 1993). The Parenting Stress Index, Third Edition (Abidin, 1995) was used as a measure of parental stress. The results established a relation between parental stress and adaptive behaviour of the child. Specifically, lower levels of adaptive functioning were predictive of higher levels of parental stress. The specific components of adaptive functioning that relate to parental stress are discussed.