Abstract
Little research has empirically addressed the relationships among parental knowledge of child development, parental attunement, parental expectations, and child independence in predicting the social competence of infants and toddlers with special health care needs. We used baseline data from the Strengthening Families Project, a prevention intervention study that tested Bavolek’s Nurturing Program for Parents and Their Children with Health Challenges to explore the roles of these variables in predicting social competence in infants and toddlers with special health care needs. Bivariate relationships among the study variables were explored and used to develop and test a model for predicting social competence among these children. Study findings pointed to a combination of indirect and direct influences of parent variables in predicting social competence. Results indicated that parents who encouraged healthy behaviors for developing a sense of power/independence were more likely to have children with social competence developing on schedule. Elements related to parental expectations, however, did not have the hypothesized relationships to social competence. The present study provides preliminary data to support the development of knowledge based interventions. Within medical settings, such interventions may indeed maximize benefit while minimizing cost.
Highlights
The Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) defines children with special health care needs (CSHCN) as those “who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition and who require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that which is required by children generally” [1]
Of the families enrolled in the study, 39 (46.4%) had a child who screened positive for having a special healthcare need based on Bethell’s (2002) CSHCN Screener [69]
Significant positive relationships were found between parental knowledge and expectations, knowledge and attunement, attunement and child power/independence, and child power/independence and child social competence
Summary
The Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) defines children with special health care needs (CSHCN) as those “who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition and who require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that which is required by children generally” [1]. A recent population based household survey documented that 10.2 million children in the US (13.9% of all US children) have a special healthcare need, with 20% of all US households with children having at least one CSHCN [2]. Among these children, approximately 41.9% have significant delays in social functioning. It is well documented that parents play a central role in influencing their child’s developmental trajectories [7], little is known about the causal pathways for enhancing social competence in infants and toddlers with special healthcare needs. The present paper attempted to fill this research gap by investigating the role of parental knowledge, expectations, attunement, and attitudes towards child independence in predicting positive social competence in infants and toddlers with special health care needs
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