Family process and adaptation to children with mental retardation: Disruption and resilience in family problem-solving interactions

Family problem-solving interactions were examined in families (N = 165) of school-aged children with mild or moderate mental retardation (MR) and a comparison sample (N = 52). The results demonstrated a disruptive impact of children with MR in the form of more directiveness by mothers and fathers, less supportive problem solving by single mothers, and less active problem solving by the target children in the MR group. Nevertheless, the absence of high rates of aversive behaviors in the MR group and the similarities in siblings' behaviors across the groups suggested that the MR families were also resilient in the face of special demands. Role differences among mothers, fathers, and siblings also were highly consistent in the two groups. Evidence of difficulties for single mothers and problem behaviors by other children in the family suggested that mental retardation is one of many challenges that families learn to cope with successfully.