This study explored the adaptation of parents raising a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) specifically the contributory role of positive perceptions, coping, self-efficacy, and social support. One hundred and thirty-six parents of children with a diagnosis of ASD completed a battery of self-report questionnaires via an online survey.…

This study examined the relationship between enrollment in structured and semi-structured support programming and the adjustment, stress, and coping among a sample of 186 undergraduate college students with learning disabilities. Participants aged 18 to 25 completed an online questionnaire composed of the items from the Student Adaptation to…

This study aimed to identify different profiles of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability (ID) and maternal factors characteristic of these profiles. Participants were 89 children between 7 and 11 years old and their mothers, distributed in two groups, 52 children with ASD and 37 with typical development (TD).…

Research exploring the benefits of Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) with youth is emerging and promising for the improvement of resiliencies. We developed an arts-based mindfulness intervention to make learning mindfulness accessible for children who had experienced trauma. Arts-based methods are engaging, enjoyable, and developmentally…

Posttraumatic growth theory posits that when life circumstances are perceived as stressful, secondary appraisal processes can be recruited in ways to facilitate both coping efforts and personal growth. Using a mixed-methods approach, we found mothers' most challenging experiences involved child behavior (e.g. aggression, communication, and social…

This qualitative multiple-case study explored the experience of flow in individual art therapy with three Korean immigrant children who had difficulties adjusting to their new home and school circumstances in the United States. Flow theory was used to interpret data collected from the children's engaged art-making experiences and illuminated the…

In this study, the Double ABCX model of family adaptation was used to explore the impact of severity of autism symptoms, behavior problems, social support, religious coping, and reframing, on outcomes related to family functioning and parental distress. The sample included self-report measures collected from 195 families raising school-age…

Background: Parents of children with developmental disabilities (DD) face greater caregiving demands than parents of children without DD. There is considerable variability in parents' adjustment to raising a child with DD, however. In line with a strengths-based approach, this study explores coping strategies as potential mechanisms of resilience…

The research validates a multivariate model that predicts parental adjustment to coping successfully with an autistic child. The model comprises four elements: parental stress, parental resources, parental adjustment and the child's autism symptoms. 176 parents of children aged between 6 to 16 diagnosed with PDD answered several questionnaires…

Recent literature on the psychological adjustment of parents who have children with disabilities suggests that they encounter a range of challenges beyond those experienced by parents of typically developing children (Achiless, G.M., McLaughlin, M J , & Croninger, R.G. 2007; Brown & Pacini, 1989). This is particularly true when a special…

This study examined a typology of adaptive and maladaptive behaviors of 2,552 ethnically diverse early adolescents who attended sixth grade in public schools and lived in disadvantaged communities. Behavioral adjustment of adolescents was measured by teacher ratings using the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC). Although typologies of…

Background: Psychological mechanisms may help to explain the variance observed in parental psychological adjustment in parents of children with intellectual disability (ID). In this study, parental locus of control and its role in relation to maternal psychological well-being was explored. Method: Questionnaires were sent to 91 mothers of children…

The authors examined the relations of maternal supportive parenting to effortful control and internalizing problems (i.e., separation distress, inhibition to novelty), externalizing problems, and social competence when toddlers were 18 months old (n = 256) and a year later (n = 230). Mothers completed the Coping With Toddlers' Negative Emotions…

Rich with clinical insights, this volume reviews the state of the science of identifying and treating autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in very young children. Leading authorities examine critical research issues and present innovative approaches to assessing social, cognitive, adaptive, communication, and sensory-motor impairments in the first two…

Studies in Hong Kong indicated that there is a tendency for young children to use internalizing as a means to cope with their daily difficulties. Mother-child relationship has been seen as a factor affecting a child's adaptive coping skills. In this study, we explored the prevalence of internalizing problems among primary school children in Hong…