Background Families of young children with disabilities are faced with ongoing challenges that impact various aspects of family life. Given the increasing emphasis on promoting positive outcomes in ...these families, the overall aim of the current study was to examine the contribution of child, family, and support characteristics to the quality of life in families of young children with disabilities.
Method The sample was recruited from several early childhood intervention programs within metropolitan Melbourne, Australia, and consisted of 64 families of children aged between 3 and 5 years with a developmental delay or disability.
Results As a whole, parental perceptions and experiences of family-centred professional support was one of the strongest predictors of family quality of life. The perceived intensity of child behavioural problems as well as support from extended family members also accounted for a significant proportion of unique variance in predicting quality of family life.
Conclusion The current findings provide further evidence for the importance of a family-focused approach to intervention that acknowledges and provides support that is tailored to the unique needs of each individual family. The practical implications of these results as well as directions for future research are discussed.
The substantial focus of resilience research on childhood well‐being has resulted in limited knowledge regarding other aspects of resilience in families, such as that of parents. Informed by ...literature in childhood and family resilience, in this review, we progress conceptual understanding by focusing on parental resilience. The definition of parental resilience, as the capacity of parents to deliver a competent and quality level of parenting to children despite the presence of risk factors, is offered here as a worthwhile framework through which to explore variables thought to contribute to resilience among parents. A conceptual model is proposed whereby parental psychological well‐being and self‐efficacy, family functioning, and social connectedness are specifically addressed, with each posited as playing an important role in parents’ ability to deliver high‐quality parenting. In addition to these factors, how parents accommodate adversity and find meaning in their everyday lives within their families is hypothesised to be an important process in understanding parental resilience.
Denny B, Beyerle K, Kienhuis M, Cora A, Gavidia‐Payne S, Hardikar W. New insights into family functioning and quality of life after pediatric liver transplantation.
: Thorough research of the ...medical aspects of pediatric liver transplantation has given way to recent interest in the impact of the transplantation process on the QOL of recipients and their families. In this cross‐sectional study, we compared the family functioning and QOL of children (n = 30) aged between three and 16 yr (M = 10.10, s.d. = 3.62) who had received a liver transplant in the previous 1–12 yr (M = 5.31, s.d. = 3.44) with non‐transplant children (n = 33), as reported via parent proxy. Results showed that parents of pediatric liver transplant recipients made significantly more adjustments to family routines to accommodate their children, particularly in relation to childcare. Impaired family functioning was also found to be associated with decreased QOL. These preliminary findings of relative deficits in family functioning may inform psychosocial interventions to assist pediatric liver transplant patients and their families. Further investigation beyond a single‐center study incorporating subjective information from pediatric patients and their parents is recommended.
Prior research has highlighted the importance of supporting the autonomy of children with Down syndrome from early childhood. There is some evidence to suggest that mothers of children with Down ...syndrome are more directive than those whose children are developing typically. However, the factors that contribute to maternal autonomy supportive vs. directive behaviors are not well understood. The current study aimed to explore the value and importance that mothers place upon their child's autonomy, as well as the specific factors that influence the support they provide. Interviews were conducted with 14 mothers of young children with Down syndrome. It was revealed that mothers held aspirations for their children's future that included autonomy and independence; however, their capacity to promote autonomy was sometimes constrained by a range of child and family factors, as well as by their focus on developing skills for independent functioning. Understanding the factors that may constrain support for autonomy represents an essential step in the process of designing interventions for promoting maternal support for autonomy in families of children with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities.
Background Early childhood intervention (ECI) program outcomes remain relatively under-researched. The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to describe outcomes in children and families participating ...in an Australian ECI service; and (2) to explore child, family, and program characteristics as correlates of these outcomes.
Method Twenty-nine families of children with disability were recruited into the study and completed measures of family outcomes, accommodations to disability, perceptions of ECI process of care, and supports received. ECI key workers provided child outcome ratings.
Results Associations among disability type, child health, and overall child outcomes were revealed. Process of care was only related to children's social relations outcomes. Family outcomes were positively associated with child care attendance, family-centred practice, and parenting support.
Conclusions A range of factors in association with outcomes for both children with disabilities and their families need to be considered in designing practices, policies, and research efforts.
•Implementation of the NDIS prevented families and communities, and service providers from providing the opportunities that foster children’s developmental goals and long-term trajectories.•NDIS ...eligibility, assessment and planning procedures relied on administrative and medicalized approaches.•Service providers’ ability to adhere to ECI quality practice was compromised.•Skills of the NDIS partner/planner workforce charged with key aspects of ECI service provision were highly variable.
The Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) completed its roll-out in 2020 with the objective of addressing the inadequacies of a fragmented and underfunded service system for people with disabilities. Under the scheme, young children with disabilities or developmental delay can now access services through the Early Childhood Approach, which is delivered by a range of not-for profit and for-profit organizations. Considering the significance of the resulting service system changes and the critical role of service providers, the aim of the present study was to examine their experiences in the State of Victoria. Forty-five service providers participated in interviews and focus groups which generated information grouped into four themes: (1) A changed orientation; (2) Early childhood intervention (ECI) practice; (3) ECI workforce; (4) The potential for a new system. Participating service providers reported several challenges in their quest to effectively support children and their families. It is concluded that for the NDIS to fulfil its promise and potential, revisions and adaptations of its systems and policies that incorporate the current ECI evidence-based knowledge and translation into real-world implementation are required.
Background: There is increasing interest in the experiences and well‐being of siblings growing up with a brother or sister with a disability in Australia. However, research to date has primarily ...obtained parent reports of sibling adjustment and mental health. Therefore, the aim of the current study was threefold: (1) to report on the mental health of siblings using a self‐report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ); (2) to compare sibling mental health with Australian normative data on the SDQ; and (3) to identify socio‐demographic and disability characteristics associated with sibling mental health difficulties.
Methods: Participants were 52 siblings (aged 10–18 years) of children with varying disabilities.
Results: Although siblings reported significantly more emotional and behavioural problems than a normative sample, the majority of siblings reported overall good mental health within the normal range on all SDQ subscales. Approximately 20–30% of siblings were identified as at‐risk or in the clinical range for overall difficulties, hyperactivity‐inattention, conduct and peer problems; and 15% at‐risk or in the clinical range for emotional symptoms and prosocial behaviour. Socio‐demographic and disability characteristics were not associated with mental health difficulties.
Conclusions: A small proportion of siblings are at risk of emotional and behavioural problems. Implications for future research, policy, and clinical practice are discussed.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) between parents can have a serious impact on children's health, well-being, and development. This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal associations between ...exposure to IPV in the first year postpartum and children's emotional-behavioral well-being at age 10 years, where maternal depressive symptoms and involvement in home learning activities at 4 years mediate this relationship. A second aim was to test for the moderating effects of child gender and economic disadvantage. Data were drawn from 1,385 Australian mothers and children participating in the Maternal Health Study; a prospective longitudinal study of women's health after childbirth. Results revealed that IPV in the first year postpartum was associated with higher maternal depressive symptoms at 4 years postpartum, which was, in turn, associated with children's emotional-behavioral difficulties at age 10 years. These associations remained significant after adjusting for concurrent exposure to IPV and maternal depressive symptoms at 10 years. There was no evidence of moderation by child gender, but there was for economic disadvantage. The associations between early life exposure to IPV, maternal depressive symptoms, and children's emotional-behavioral difficulties were stronger for families experiencing economic disadvantage, while the associations between IPV, maternal involvement, and children's emotional-behavioral difficulties were stronger for those not experiencing disadvantage. These findings can inform prevention and early intervention practices and policies aimed at providing adequate mental health support to women experiencing IPV to minimize the negative impact on children.
Abstract The Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) literature recommends that intervention is embedded within everyday routines that occur in the natural environment. However, little research has ...examined the implementation of routines-based models of ECI. The aim of this paper was to describe the development of a Routines-Based Early Childhood Intervention (RBECI) model. The RBECI model consists of four key components: a) Routines-Based Interviews (RBIs); b) participation-based goals; c) home visits; and d) community consultations. Empirical evidence supporting each component of the model is provided, and results from a preliminary evaluation of the implementation of the model are discussed. Further research is required evaluating processes involved in the implementation of the model by ECI professionals and its impact on children and families.
Resumo A literatura recomenda que a Intervenção Precoce na Infância (IPI) seja inserida dentro das rotinas diárias que ocorrem no ambiente natural. No entanto, poucas pesquisas examinaram a implementação de modelos de IPI com base em rotinas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi descrever o desenvolvimento de uma intervenção precoce na infância baseado num modelo de rotinas (RBECI). O modelo RBECI consiste em quatro componentes principais: a) Entrevistas Baseadas em Rotinas (RBI); b) metas de participação; c) visitas domiciliares; e d) consultas à comunidade. Evidência empírica de suporte para cada componente do modelo é fornecida, e os resultados de uma avaliação preliminar da implementação do modelo são discutidos. São necessárias mais pesquisas e avaliações dos processos envolvidos na implementação do modelo por profissionais de IPI e seu impacto sobre as crianças e as famílias.
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