RELIGION AND CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

Religion as a personal coping resource used by parents of infants and toddlers with disabilities has received some attention in recent liter ature. This exploratory study involved in-depth interviews of 12 paren ts who had children with disabilities ranging in age from 15 months to 30 years. The ways in which religion can be used as a coping resource across the life-cycle are exemplified through excerpts from these int erviews. Prayer, church attendance, and specific religious beliefs wer e identified as sources of support which helped some parents feel a gr owing sense of hope and strength. Suggestions for future research are discussed.