Publication year
2016
Citation Title
Comparing parents of children with Down syndrome at different life span stages.
Journal Name
Journal of Marriage and Family
Journal Volume
78
Issue Number
4
Page Numbers
1131-1148
DOI
10.111/jomf.12312
Summary
Parents of children with Down syndrome face unique challenges at different stages of life. In this study, parents were divided into four groups based on the age of their children and answered questions regarding their coping strategies, hope, life satisfactions, and marital relationships. Results revealed that parents' coping strategies, but not other variables, varied at different phases of life.
Key Findings
Parents of children with Down syndrome at different phases of their lives have different coping strategies; specifically, parents reported higher coping scores in middle childhood and adolescent years, but lower coping scores in early childhood and adult years.
No significant differences among the four groups of parents were observed in relationship functioning, individual life satisfaction, or hope.
All parents indicated the importance of acceptance and having a positive attitude in caring for their children with Down syndrome.
Implications for Military Professionals
Encourage military parents of children with developmental disorders (e.g., Down syndrome) to participate in programs that help them learn effective coping strategies
Educate military parents of children with developmental disorders on how to maintain optimism and engage in self-care
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer support groups for parents whose children were diagnosed with developmental disorders
Develop workshops for military parents of children with developmental disorders to increase their life satisfaction and coping strategies
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend education of professionals who work with military families on the effects of childhood developmental disorders on family well-being
Continue to support parent education programs that aim to promote positive parenting and resilience in military families
Methods
Participants were recruited through local and national Down syndrome groups such as the Council for Exceptional Children.
Of the 644 responses, 31% were missing data; measures included coping strategies, hope, life satisfaction, marital relationship adjustment, and relationship satisfaction.
Analysis compared the responses of parents with children of different age groups.
Participants
Participants were 445 parents whose children had Down syndrome, and they were divided into four groups based on the age of the children: early childhood group (49%, under 5 years old), middle childhood group (30%, 5-11 years old), adolescent group (11%, 12-18 years old), and adult group (10%, over 18 years old).
The average age of the participants was 41.91 years (SD = 9.66) and 87% of them were female.
The majority of the participants were White (91%), followed by Latino (4%), Black (1%), and other (4%).
Limitations
Most single parents did not complete the relationship component of the survey and were excluded from the analysis, therefore, the findings may have been different if this population was included.
According to the authors, the sample was high-functioning and therefore may not represent the general population.
Most of the participants were mothers (87%), so the results of the study mostly represented mothers’ perspectives and could not be generalized to male caregivers.
Avenues for Future Research
Recruit parents from different family structures including single parents and divorced parents
Increase the race/ethnicity and socioeconomic diversity of the sample
Investigate if fathers and mothers have different perspectives and strategies in coping with children’s Down syndrome
Focus
Civilian
Population Focus
Abstract
The present study explored the experiences of parents of children with Down syndrome at different phases of the life span. Using a mixed-method design, the current study included 445 participants who were divided into 4 groups based on the age of the child: (a) parents of children under 5 years of age (early childhood), (b) parents of children between 5 and 11 years of age (middle childhood), (c) parents of children between 12 and 18 years of age (adolescence), and (d) parents of children over the age of 18 (chronological adults). Parents reported higher coping strategy scores during the middle childhood and adolescent years than early childhood or later years (adult children). Qualitative data identified key areas that parents across the 4 groups reported, including acceptance of the diagnosis, having a positive attitude, their child's developmental level, and other internal and external factors that contribute to their attitudes and coping.
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