ABSTRACT
This chapter examines both old and new work in parenting children with intellectual disabilities. We begin with the history of studies on parental reactions to rearing children with intellectual disabilities, the nature of interactions between mothers and these children, and characteristics of such families. Following this discussion, we tackle such theoretical and methodological issues as how one conceptualizes the family of a child with intellectual disabilities, between-group versus within-group studies, and the role of the child’s cause of intellectual disabilities on family functioning. Examining more recent studies, we then return to maternal and paternal reactions, mother-child interactions, and the effects of pre-existing parent and family characteristics on parent–family functioning. The chapter ends by providing more practical information and directions for future research.
