Family influences on adaptive development in young children with Down syndrome

In this study we investigated the extent to which the family environment pr edicted differences in trajectories of adaptive development in young childr en with Down syndrome. The sample was comprised of 54 children with Down sy ndrome and their families who were studied from infancy through the age of 5 years as part of a longitudinal study of children with disabilities. Hier archical linear modeling (HLM) was used to estimate the parameters of hiera rchical growth models in domains of adaptive development. Results indicated that growth in communication, daily living skills, and socialization domai ns were predicted by measures of the family environment (i.e., family cohes ion and mother-child interaction:) above and beyond that predicted by mater nal education. Further, Bayley MDI measures during infancy did not predict changes in adaptive development in any of the domains. The results are disc ussed in terms of implications for service provision and for expanding theo retical frameworks to include the development of children with disabilities .