EFFECTS OF FAMILY INTERVENTION ON MATERNAL CHILD INTERACTION FOR MOTHERS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL-DISABILITIES

Maternal developmental disability is associated with child abuse and n eglect, inadequate home environments, and intergenerational, yet famil y practice rarely accommodates the challenges and special needs of the se women. The path of family dysfunction contributing most to these un toward outcomes is maternal-child interaction. Forty women with develo pmental disabilities were randomly assigned to two groups, one receivi ng conventional family supports and the other a developmentally approp riate family intervention. The family intervention, called STARS, focu sed on improving maternal competencies, particularly in the area of ma ternal-child interaction. At the end of 1 year, mothers who participat ed in the family intervention demonstrated significant improvement in maternal-child interaction.