Maternal support for autonomy: Relationships with persistence for children with Down syndrome and typically developing children

Abstract

Maternal behaviors and child mastery behaviors were examined in 25 children with Down syndrome and 43 typically developing children matched for mental age (24-36 months). During a shared problem-solving task, there were no group differences in maternal directiveness or support for autonomy, and mothers in the two groups used similar verbal strategies when helping their child. There were also no group differences in child mastery behaviors, measured as persistence with two optimally challenging tasks. However, the two groups differed in the relationships of maternal style with child persistence. Children with Down syndrome whose mothers were more supportive of their autonomy in the shared task displayed greater persistence when working independently on a challenging puzzle, while children of highly directive mothers displayed lower levels of persistence. For typically developing children, persistence was unrelated to maternal style, suggesting that mother behaviors may have different causes or consequences in the two groups.

Self-controlled feedback enhances learning in adults with Down syndrome

“…Autonomy-supportive learning contexts enhance people's intrinsic motivation which, in turn, can lead to more effective learning outcomes 29,30 . In fact, some studies suggest that autonomy-supportive environments can potentially improve academic achievement in students with general learning disabilities 47 and increase task persistence in persons with DS while working independently on challenging tasks 48 . Thus, there is converging evidence that allowing learners to exert some control over the practice situation benefits learning.…”

Impact of mastery motivation on occupational performance outcomes following upper limb intervention for school-aged children with congenital hemiplegia

“…Contrary to these findings, the maternal style of mothers of young children with Down syndrome showed no differences when compared to those of typically developing mental age-matched peers (Gilmore, Cuskelly, Jobling, & Hayes, 2009). An explanation for these contradictory study findings could be in inconsistent terminology when discussing maternal style and differences in study methodology ).…”

Observational Assessment and Maternal Reports of Motivation in Children and Adolescents With Down Syndrome

“…Indeed, parents of children with Down syndrome have often been described as more directive than parents of typically developing children Roach, Stevenson Barratt, Miller, & Leavitt, 1998), and children with Down syndrome appear to be more affected by maternal directiveness. In a study of young children with Down syndrome and a typically developing comparison group, Gilmore, Cuskelly, Jobling, and Hayes (2009) reported that maternal directiveness was associated with lower levels of task persistence but only for the children with Down syndrome. The finding in the current study that social engagement with adults was negatively related to task persistence suggests that outer-directedness may undermine the ability of children with Down syndrome to work independently.…”