Parents Of Males Research Articles

Toilet training and behaviors of people with autism: Parent views

Individuals with autism often present with toileting problems, yet there is little information about the nature of these problems. This investigation surveyed 100 parents of people with autism of a mean age of 19.5 years. Results indicated that lower cognition and lower verbal levels were significantly correlated with age of accomplishment of bowel and urine training; some subjects were not trained at the time of the study. The average duration of urine training was 1.6 years, bowel training 2.1 years. On the average, training started more than 2 1/2 years before the average age of diagnosis of autism. Fifty-six percent of the sample had to be taught to self-initiate, 42% were taught to ask to use the toilet, and 49% were taught using a schedule. Reinforcement was used by 78% of the parents of males and by 100% of the parents of females. Punishment, primarily scolding was used by 37% of the parents. The most common problems reported were urinating in places other than the toilet, constipation, stuffing up toilets, continually flushing, or smearing feces. More fears related to toileting were noted for verbal subjects.

Habilitation of patients with clefts: parent and child ratings of satisfaction with appearance and speech.

This study examined ratings regarding satisfaction with facial appearance and speech performance from 495 parent-child pairs. Data were obtained from school-aged children (5-18 years old) and their parents using standardized independent interviews. Results revealed that 54 percent of the children with cleft lip (CL) or cleft lip and palate (CLP) were very pleased with their appearance, and 62 percent of the cleft palate or CLP subjects were very pleased with speech. Low, but statistically significant correlations exist between the female subjects and their parents in satisfaction with appearance. Although older cleft lip and/or palate patients reported increased satisfaction with speech, no age differences in patient satisfaction with appearance were observed in subjects with CL/CLP. Parents of females expressed more concern about their daughters' appearance than parents of males, while parents of males were more concerned about speech. Implications for craniofacial habilitation teams and research suggestions are discussed.

Parental Attitudes and the Occurrence of Early Sexual Activity

The hypothesis that parental communication and monitoring of adolescent children will discourage premarital sexual activity is examined among white 15 and 16-year-olds interviewed in the 1981 US National Survey of Children the 2nd wave of a nationally representative longitudinal study designed to assess the physical social and psychological well-being of different groups of US children. Whites were studied separately since preliminary analysis indicates different factors contributing to sexual behavior in black and white adolescents. Interview data were collected not only from young persons but also from the most knowledgeable custodial parent--usually the mother; for whom an attempt was made to measure attitudes on divorce division of labor in a family maternal emplloyment and marriage; and parental monitoring of adolescents expressed in terms of the proportion of childs friends known and communication on sex lifestyle and general issues. A parental assessment of neighborhood quality was included as well. Analyses indicate little support for the study hypothesis in the total sample. Only 2 of 10 comparisons show variations that are statistically significant: knowing friends of females p<.05 1 tailed t-test and neighborhood assessment by parents of males p<.01 when the sample is partitioned according to a measure of parental traditional attitudes 1 group--the daughters of traditional parents who have communicated with then about sex of about television--are found less likely to have had intercourse at p<.01 there is no overall efect of parent traditionality among son. It is possible few parents initiate discussions about sex with sons until evidence of sexual activity leads parents especially traditional parents to do so a fact suggested by the higher incidence of premarital sexual activity among sons of traditional parents who have discussed sex with their parents.

Parental influence on sex-typed toy preference in toddlers

This study explored how parents’ promotion of play may impact gender differences in motor development of six-nine month old infants. Twenty-nine infants between six-nine months of age and their primary caregivers took part in assessments of anthropometry, motor development, video observations of play and a qualitative interview. Results revealed females had significantly higher scores for fine motor skills and significantly higher incidence of touching toys in an individual play scenario compared to males. Males had a higher intensity level of play during both play scenarios. Qualitative explorations found that parents perceived other adults such as surrounding family and friends to promote gender differences but not themselves; however, parents’ verbal interactions with infants did appear to differ by gender. Parents of males more frequently made statements to promote gross motor skills while parents of females more frequently made statements to promote fine motor skills. While biological influences are suggested to play a role on gender differences of motor development early in life, environmental explanations related to socialization, gender-differentiated expectations and experiences amplify these differences to a greater degree than may have been previously considered during this time period.

University Student Cohabitation: A Regional Comparison of Selected Attitudes and Behavior

A nonrandom sample consisting of 1191 students in family or marriage classes in 14 state universities--two schools in each of seven regions--completed questionnaires dealing with cohabitation. The results were as follows: approximately onequarter of the students had cohabited at some time; a greater percentage of males than females had cohabited; just over half of the cohabitants thought their parents probably or definitely did not know of their cohabitation, with parents of males and females equally likely to know; the great majority of respondents expected their parents to disapprove, with females more likely than males to expect disapproval; cohabitants were more likely than noncohabitants to indicate a willingness to engage in a variety of nontraditional living styles; persons who had cohabited intended to marry at about the same rate as those who had not, but at a somewhat older age and desired fewer children. There did not appear to be any important regional differences with regard to the above findings.