Thirty pairs of fathers and mothers who had school-age children with mental retardation and other disabilities were compared with each other and with 32 father and mother pairs of parents of children without disabilities. Responses to family scales indicated that fathers and mothers of children with developmental disabilities did not differ from each other nor from fathers and mothers of children without disabilities in parental stress, family social support, or family functioning. However, parents of children with disabilities experienced a disproportionately greater level of stress relating to their children than did those of children without disabilities. Fathers' and mothers' stress was associated with aspects of family functioning as perceived by themselves and their spouses.

Quantitative and qualitative measures of 19 parents and 19 siblings of school-age children with learning disabilities (a parent-sibling pair for each child) showed that the functioning of the families and the self-concept of the siblings were comparable to that in families of nondisabled children, but the parents in the former group experienced greater stress than did parents of nondisabled children. Furthermore, despite few problems in sibling relationships, the families experienced adaptational difficulties, especially with regard to the school. Family intervention and future research are suggested.

This study examined the unanticipated effects that children with learning disabilities have on the life of their families. Eleven parents of students aged 8 to 16 years old participated in two separate focus group interviews. Findings showed that children with learning disabilities had a range of effects on their families. These included family stress, parenting discrepancies, negative reactions from extended family members, difficulty in interacting with the school, and mixed effects upon siblings. Patterns of family coping also emerged. Recommendations for supporting families and students with learning disabilities are suggested.

This study investigated the nature of kindergarten children's understanding about and attitudes toward disabilities. Interviews with 77 Canadian children enrolled in inclusive classrooms showed that kindergarten children (a) conceptualize disabilities chiefly according to physical appearances and (b) possess a fairly accurate understanding of some aspects of disabilities. Kindergarten children also hold generally positive attitudes toward persons with disabilities. These attitudes, however, do not reflect their reported friendships with persons with disabilities. Only half of the nondisabled children reported having friends who have disabilities. Possibilities for future research and the need to further enhance the social inclusion of children with disabilities are suggested.

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