This "classic" article (1972) in the field of deaf studies includes some interpretive notes for current readers. The article examines the effect of deafness on basic developmental tasks at each of the eight developmental stages of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development and explains the more successful passage through these…

A study of 30 adults with mothers (n=28) or fathers (n=2) who had mental retardation found that despite the problems they encountered in their childhood, many of which originated outside the home, most of the informants had maintained a valued relationships with their family and remained close to their mothers. (Contains extensive references.)…

A review of the research on parent training programs for parents with intellectual disabilities found that, of 10 studies, 8 applied single-subject designs, two used quantitative methods, one examined basic child-care skills training, 2 examined decision making in child rearing, 5 were about safety, and 3 addressed the mother-child interaction.…

Sixteen dyads comprised either of deaf toddlers and their deaf mothers or deaf toddlers and their hearing mothers were compared on the use and success of various means for establishing mutual attention for communication. Results suggested the deaf-deaf dyads experienced significantly more episodes of mutual attention because the deaf mothers were…

The signed and spoken language produced by 14 mothers (7 deaf and 7 hearing) to their 18-month-old deaf children was analyzed. Deaf mothers were more successful in presenting signed utterances with a salient context visible to their children. For both groups, visible and salient signed utterances were positively correlated with mothers' success in…

This study examined agreement between recipients and providers about social support and personality. One hundred daughter caregivers of a parent with Alzheimer's disease and each caregiver's most important support provider independently reported supportive behaviors provided to caregivers, the perceived supportiveness of the provider, and…

This literature review begins with a description of the deaf community, their language and culture; then describes communication patterns and parenting issues in deaf-parented families; examines the role of the hearing child in a deaf family and how that affects their functioning in the hearing world; and finally discusses considerations and…

The ability to attribute false beliefs by 155 deaf children (ages 5 and 8) grouped by communication mode and parental hearing status was compared to that of 39 hearing children (ages 4 to 6). Effective representational abilities were demonstrated by deaf children of deaf parents, whereas those with hearing parents appeared delayed, with…

The acquisition of movement skills in American Sign Language was examined longitudinally in young children, one deaf and eight hearing, of deaf parents. Although production accuracy did not improve over the 5 to 14 months of the study's duration, the number and complexity of movements produced by the children did increase. Contacting action was…

In this article, the author, who has an internet self-help radio program called "Maximizing Life with Scott Chesney" on VoiceAmerica, describes the joys and healing his children brings him daily since his diagnosis with Foix-Alajouanine Syndrome. He realized that, after a tour of 15 countries researching alternative medicine and speaking and…

A mother and father (both deaf themselves) of one deaf and one hard of hearing child share their parenting experiences, with emphasis on effective strategies for family sharing and bonding. The father begins by sharing his experiences growing up as a deaf child of deaf parents. The mother then recounts her childhood experiences as a deaf child of…

Describes the rationale for integration of supports and services for parents with intellectual disabilities and the steps taken in planning for the development of one model that is currently being evaluated. Implications from this process are presented. (Author/CR)

A study examined the everyday family life of six Australian parent couples with intellectual disabilities. Results indicate that much of what the parents knew about parenting came from their childhood memories or family traditions, followed the example set by other family members, and reflected lessons learned from daily parenting practice. (CR)

This study compared interactions in 18 families headed by either deaf or hearing parents with an eldest hearing child (aged 7 to 11). Transcripts of parent/child dyadic interactions during a vacation planning activity were analyzed. There were no significant differences between children in the two groups, though deaf parents demonstrated less…

This editorial looks at the special support needs of parents with learning difficulties in Britain in the context of the new Adoption and Children Bill, which encourages and speeds adoption. The bill is seen as a major threat to families headed by a parent with learning difficulties. It urges greater attention to providing the known and effective…