Down syndrome children generate fewer appropriate social signals and exhibit less responsiveness to their mothers' signals than do non-delayed children. Research suggests that in the absence of these potent elicitors of maternal response, many mothers of Down syndrome children adopt a controlling and directive interactive style. The proposed study seeks to determine whether this directiveness occurs at the expense of responsiveness thereby interfering with the development of Down syndrome children's interactive social skills. This proposal examines maternal responsiveness to children's social signals in mothers of Down syndrome children. As part of an ongoing project, videotapes have been collected of 50 Down syndrome and 50 mental age matched non-delayed children and their mothers when the children were between 10 and 29 months mental age. From this sample, Down syndrome children with a 10 to 17 month mental age (n=28) and their mental age matched non-delayed cohorts are being assessed longitudinally at two subsequent points. For the proposed study, behavioral microanalysis will be used to characterize attentional, vocal, and affective responsiveness in mothers of Down syndrome as compared with mothers of non-delayed children. The extent to which the developmental appropriateness of early maternal interactions influences the children's later performance and interactive behavior will then be examined. In addition, the effects of children's mental development, social responsiveness, and family SES on maternal responsiveness over time will also be examined. Using this longitudinal design, we will be able to evaluate whether differences between mothers of Down syndrome and non-delayed children represent adaptive behaviors that facilitate or maladaptive behaviors that inhibit a healthy social interchange.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01HD028094-01A2
Application #
3329719
Study Section
Human Development and Aging Subcommittee 3 (HUD)
Project Start
1992-08-01
Project End
1995-07-31
Budget Start
1992-08-01
Budget End
1993-07-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
1992
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Wisconsin Madison
Department
Type
Other Domestic Higher Education
DUNS #
161202122
City
Madison
State
WI
Country
United States
Zip Code
53715
Roach, M A; Orsmond, G I; Barratt, M S (1999) Mothers and fathers of children with Down syndrome: parental stress and involvement in childcare. Am J Ment Retard 104:422-36
Roach, M A; Barratt, M S; Miller, J F et al. (1998) The structure of mother-child play: young children with Down syndrome and typically developing children. Dev Psychol 34:77-87