Maternal supportive and interfering control as predictors of adaptive and social development in children with and without developmental delays

Abstract

Background Parents of children with developmental delays (DD) have been found to use more controlling behaviour with their children than parents of children with typical development (TD). While controlling behaviour is related to poorer developmental outcomes in TD children, there is little research on how it predicts outcomes in DD children. Furthermore, existing research tends to use inconsistent or non-specific definitions of controlling behaviour, often combining parent control which follows the child’s goal (e.g. supportive direction) and that which interferes with the child’s goal (e.g. interference). Methods Participants were 200 mother–child dyads observed at child age 3, with follow-up assessments of adaptive behaviour and social skills administered at child ages 5 and 6, respectively. We coded the frequency of both types of controlling behaviour based on mothers’ interactions with their children with TD (n = 113) or DD (n = 87) at age 3. Results Mothers in the DD group used more interfering but not more supportive directive acts compared to mothers in the TD group. Adaptive behaviour was assessed at child age 5 and social skills were assessed at age 6. Higher frequency of supportive directive acts predicted better adaptive functioning for the TD group and better social skills for the DD group. Higher frequency of interfering acts predicted lower adaptive and social skills for children with DD but not with TD. Conclusions Results are discussed in terms of the differential developmental needs of children with and without DD as well as implications for early intervention.

Language Production in Children With and At Risk for Delay: Mediating Role of Parenting Skills

“…On the other hand, there is evidence that supportive directive acts (e.g., parental control which follows the child's goal) predict better social skills for children with developmental delay. However, mothers of children with developmental delay typically use more interfering than supportive directives, and more interfering directives predict lower adaptive and social skills for children with developmental delay (Green, Caplan, Baker, 2013). Overall, evidence suggests the use of nondirective play and following the child's lead may help to improve language skills in children with developmental delay (Koegel, Koegel, & Surratt, 1992).…”

The Effect of Parenting Style on Social Smiling in Infants at High and Low Risk for ASD

“…It has been posited that infants with developmental challenges may benefit from a more directive interaction style that provides scaffolding to elicit desired behaviors (Marfo, 1992), because their more limited repertoire of social initiation and play may provide parents with fewer opportunities to follow their child’s lead (Saint-Georges et al, 2011; Slonims, Cox, & McConachie, 2006; van IJzendoorn et al, 2007; Zwaigenbaum et al, 2005). However, in contrast to maternal responsiveness, the effect of maternal directiveness on the social engagement of infants and children with developmental challenges is less clear, with some studies finding a positive association (Doussard-Roosevelt et al, 2003; Green et al, 2014) and others finding no association (Wan et al, 2012, 2013) or a negative association (Landry, Smith, Miller-Loncar, & Swank, 1998). It has been suggested that typically developing children may be equipped with resources that allow them to be relatively more resilient to the effects of maternal directiveness on social development than are children with developmental challenges (Green et al, 2014).…”

“…However, in contrast to maternal responsiveness, the effect of maternal directiveness on the social engagement of infants and children with developmental challenges is less clear, with some studies finding a positive association (Doussard-Roosevelt et al, 2003; Green et al, 2014) and others finding no association (Wan et al, 2012, 2013) or a negative association (Landry, Smith, Miller-Loncar, & Swank, 1998). It has been suggested that typically developing children may be equipped with resources that allow them to be relatively more resilient to the effects of maternal directiveness on social development than are children with developmental challenges (Green et al, 2014). …”

Differences in teachers verbal responsiveness to groups of children with ASD who vary in cognitive and language abilities

“…; Green et al . ). Evidence suggests that special education teachers use more directives with students with Down Syndrome compared with teachers of TD students (Engevik et al .…”